A WOMAN has told how she rushed to the aid of a group of bellringers after they were locked in a churchtower by an irate pensioner.

Sandra Price released the six-strong group, aged between 45 and 65, after they were imprisoned in the belfry of St John the Divine Church, in Sharow, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, on Sunday.

It is thought the bellringers, who were visiting the area from the south of England, were locked in the tower by someone who took offence at the noise caused by the three-hour peal.

Mrs Price said: “I went in and entered the tower room and called out twice. Then I heard some banging. I thought it was a peculiar way of bell ringing, it sounded more like Irish dancing.

“I heard them call out, ‘We’re trapped’, so I climbed the next set of stairs and found a piece of wood had been lodged in the hasp and staple.

“I removed the wood and opened the door and there were the bell ringers.

“They said they were a third of a way through their peal when a man appeared, shouting and swearing.

“He was being very, very nasty and threatening to smash up their cars.

“He must have been the one who locked them in. I tried to get a detailed description from them but the lady said they tried not to look at him because he was so angry.

“They just tried to ignore him until he left, then finished their peal.

“He has got to be a local man. He was aged 60 to 70, thin with an angular face.

“If any of them had taken ill or there had been a fire, I just don’t know what would have happened.

“It’s not very nice, everyone has the right to freedom of speech and he had a right to complain, but that was just not nice.”

The amount of bellringing at the church is regulated and visitors come once every few months.

The group were accomplished players and came to the village because of the quality of the bells.

North Yorkshire Police said a complaint about the man was made, but officers are not investigating.