AN Army regiment has reinforced its ties with a ruined church by launching a £6,500 stained glass window appeal.

The now-obsolete Durham Light Infantry (DLI) began the appeal to raise money for two stained glass windows at St Brandon's Church, Brancepeth, near Durham City.

It offered its assistance after the church was razed to the ground in a fire in 1998. The following year, the Duke of York launched a £3.5m appeal to repair the damage, and a £400,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant enabled the first phase of reconstruction to begin.

Work on the fabric of the church is now almost complete, and the appeal will soon shift its focus to the fixtures and fittings.

As the DLI had its regimental depot and headquarters in Brancepeth, many of its members have fond memories of both the village and the church.

Regimental county secretary, Major Randal Cross, said it was important that they contributed to the church's restoration.

He said: "After the fire, we were unable to use the church for our annual reunion service.

"It was the regimental chapel during the time when the DLI was in Brancepeth, when there were more than 500 soldiers in the village at any one time.

"Because of the connection with St Brandon's Church and the fact that quite a number of our plaques and other ornaments were lost in the fire, it was decided that we should look at a suitable memorial to raise money for."

The appeal will pay for two medieval-style windows bearing the DLI's cap badge. It has already raised almost £5,000, and it is hoped that the windows will be in place by the next DLI reunion, on the second weekend in September.