STEEPLEJACKS are being called in to remove grass and shrubs that have taken root at the top of a church spire.

The plants, thought to have grown from seeds deposited by perching birds, are threatening the stonework of the 160ft steeple at St James's Church, Baldersby, between Ripon and Thirsk.

Church council member Susan Brown said: "The top of the tower, which can be seen for miles around the countryside, has been given a green look.

"We regard the work as a stitch in time to prevent any serious deterioration of the stonework."

"The work will cost about £800 and we are hoping that the steeplejacks will not find anything more serious once they are up there.

"It is a lot of money for our congregation but we held a flower festival to raise funds and now people can see that we are spending it on looking after the church fabric.

"Unless the growth is removed it could cause the stones to slip," she said.

The church is a Grade-I listed building, designed and built in 1857 by Victorian architect William Butterfield.

The church was a gift to the community from Viscount Downe, who died in 1857, just weeks after he laid the foundation stone.