AN historic church that was targeted seven times by lead thieves has officially reopened after the completion of an extensive renovation programme to repair the damage caused by water getting into the building.

The roof at the Grade I listed St Cuthbert’s Church at Redmarshall near Stockton has now been replaced with terne-coated stainless steel, but the interior of the building had been severely damaged by the water that had entered through the holes left behind by the thefts.

A wide range of repairs were needed to the interior of the church, including renovation by specialist craftsmen of its 17th century pews which had been badly water-stained, and because of the repeated thefts, the church’s insurance policy only covered a small proportion of the almost £50,000 cost.

The church congregation held fundraising events to help pay the bill, and contributions were also provided by a number of local and diocesan bodies, including a £5,000 grant from The Banks Group.

Church warden Eric Smalley said: “Each time we were targeted, we covered the holes in the roof as quickly as we could, but water always finds a way of getting into a building if it has the chance, and the damage that it was causing was becoming ever more widespread and concerning, especially to some of our oldest fixtures and fittings.

“When we reopened the building, our congregation was astonished by the amount of work that had been done, and by the difference that it has made to the interior of the building, which we hope will now remain undisturbed long into the future.”