BELL-RINGERS have warned High Wycombe's oldest church may be silenced forever unless money can be found to prevent the church's iconic bell tower from collapsing.

The bells have rung out from All Saints Church in Castle Street for more than 500 years for weddings and civic town services.

But the wooden beams which support the tower of the 900-year-old church have been eaten away by Death-Watch Beetle and Woodworm.

Bell-ringers have also been forced to stop pealing the four largest bells because the sound and vibrations have cracked the masonry.

Experts have now warned the tower will collapse unless repairs are made, resulting in church-goers launching a fund-raising appeal to raise £250,000 for the reconstruction.

Bell-ringer Josie Martin said: “The church is not just for people who pray or use the church. It is a building for the whole town, it is part of our heritage and a building that people care about.

“We have some of the best bell-ringers in the country and it is one of only a handful of churches in the country to have 12 ringing bells, but we've been forced to stop using some of them.

“It's like having a football team, a ball and you're own ground but not able to play because the pitch is flooded, it's just frustrating and quite sad.

“If we don't raise the money, either the tower will have to be dismantled or it will fall down and the bells will be silenced forever – it is a real problem and we need help.”

A church committee has been assembled to deal with the problem, with a host of money-making events planned over the coming months, including a bungee jump.

The church has also enlisted the help of High Wycombe gift shop Clairabella, which will be selling notelets and church-branded mugs to boost the fund-raising effort.

To help the Ring Appeal, email ringappeal@live.co.uk or contact 01844 352926.