THE bells will be ringing again this weekend after more than 20 years' silence at a city centre church.

Fears about the structural safety of the tower at Durham's St Nicholas Church, because of the vibration of increasingly heavy traffic nearby, led to the six bells remaining silent.

But after examination by an expert, a structural engineer and the church architect, the all-clear was given and the church's 13 bell-ringers are preparing to swing back into action.

The present building dates back to Victorian times, but there has been a church on the Market Place site for more than 900 years.

Five of the bells were cast in 1687 and the sixth, and lightest, is a relative newcomer at 111-years-old.

The Reverend Dale Hanson is grateful to his congregation in reviving the bell-ringing tradition at St Nicholas. "People have contributed in a variety of ways to this project, whether it be technical help and advice, or with practical skills, ranging from wielding a paintbrush and broom, to dispensing cups of tea and words of encouragement," he said.

"It has been a marvellous effort and we are grateful to all those who have helped."

The ringers will be led by Dorothy Nicholas, a churchgoer at St Nicholas for the past 20 years, who is delighted at the project's success.

"The ringing room has been refurbished and carpeted and the only drawback has been the need to find a new home for everything stored there for the past 20 years," she said.

Following a special service of thanksgiving, from 4.15pm to 4.45pm on Sunday, a peal of the St Nicholas bells will be heard again.