BACK in September the Review reported that crumbling Ruardean Church was desperately seeking more than £200,000 for vital repairs.

Now the parochial church council of distinctive St John's has learned its bid for a £139,000 lifeline from English Heritage can move forward with a £23,000 grant to develop their claim.

The highest church in the Dean is a much loved part of the local horizon and dates back to the 12th century. But several years ago, a structural report showed that essential repairs were needed to stop their church from starting to crumble. Cracks started to appear and the tower and spire had to be completely closed off.

The community in Ruardean got behind the fundraising campaign and raised around £30,000 towards the repairs. But the cost of work is now estimated to be somewhere in the region of £250,000. Last summer the Parochial Church Council (PCC) applied for funding and have just heard that they have been given £23,000 to develop their bid.

Parish priest the Rev Nick Bromfield said: "I am really pleased and relieved at the news for two reasons. Firstly, I think it's a real boost for the congregation as they have had to deal with a lot of anxiety for the past few years about the structure of the church.

"I also think it is great symbolically. The church is very prominent and visible for miles around. It is a physical witness to the Christian faith in the area and it is great that we should be getting the resources to save it."

PCC treasurer Andy Tyler said the grant was good news. "We can go ahead with investigations and put up scaffolding, that sort of thing. Providing all our tenders are approved the full grant application will go forward.

"The £139,000 would cover the major work. However there is still a lot of work to do and we have a hectic year of fundraising ahead."