A CONSULTANT has been employed to look into extra uses for a Durham church currently under restoration after being ravaged by fire.

St Brandon's Church, at Brancepeth, near Durham City, is being rebuilt after it was reduced to an empty shell by the blaze in September 1998.

A £400,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant towards the £3m-plus restoration appeal total means the first phase of work has now begun. Villagers have also raised more than £100,000 towards the repair costs of the Grade I listed building.

Adrian Rogers, director of Brancepeth Church Appeal, said the consultant would look at suitable ways of broadening the use of the church.

He said: "We have a beautiful, historic church, which will be used as a parish church for Brancepeth and we are trying to assess what other uses might be useful in its present location. We are very open minded about it."

He added: "We want to see what other potential it has for people to enjoy its quiet space, what we don't want to do is turn it into an entertainment venue because it is a church."

Insurance payments contributed £2m to the restoration fund and appeal organisers are confident a further £650,000 will be raised towards the final cost.

Workers are currently securing the building before renewing the supporting pillars and arches.

Phase two of the project will see repairs to stonework, glazing of the windows in the nave and aisles, reconstruction of the ground floor and installation of heating and lighting.

Phase three will include restoration of surviving monuments and wall paintings, the return of the church bells and fitting of the organ.

The work is expected to take three years. A recent Christmas lunch raised more than £2,000 towards the appeal target.