AFTER a month of silence, the church bell of St Johns Church, Boreham Road, Warminster can be heard again.

Repairs to the nave roof uncovered an urgent need for work on the bell tower, and the Rev Denis Brett was forced to quiet the bell until the work was completed this month.

The Friends of St John's Church rallied round, holding events such as jumble sales, craft fairs and coffee mornings to raise £7,000 towards the £30,000 bill for the repairs.

Mr Brett said: "The moment the tower was fully repaired we rang the bell heartily. It was a lovely crisp day and people in the village could hear it and many remarked on it."

A restoration thanksgiving service will be held at St John's on November 26 at 11am. Canon Jeremy Davies from Salisbury Cathedral will be at the occasion.

Mr Brett said: "I want to warmly thank those who worked so hard to raise the kind of money we needed."