Storm damage repairs to St Margaret's Church in Blackfordby are set to exceed a shock £100,000 - after their insurance company refused to cover the costs.

The church's gable end crumbled and fell off during the extreme conditions brought in by Storm Ciara last month, as reported by Ashby Nub News Fresh Fears For Blackfordby Church

Representatives of an insurance company were brought brought in to assess the damage done to the 11th century structure which was rebuilt in 1858.

But the church's vicar Fr Mike Fish has admitted the cost of repairs would run into six figures.

Fr Fish revealed the details in a post on the Blackfordby Village Community Group's Facebook page on Saturday.

"I had a phone call late Friday from the insurance company informing us that they were not going to cover any of the storm damage to the church," he posted.

"Some reasons were given but the bottom line is that we are to fund the repairs ourselves.

"The structural engineer who attended on behalf of the insurance company has suggested (and this is only an educated guess) in excess of £100,000+.

"We will now meet together to decide how we proceed with this as it will involve a lot of grant applications, pleading and involving (expensive) architects etc.

"We are fortunate that the local community has been so supportive - don't forget the concert organised by Martin on 25th April in the village hall - it is a shock to us here which will take some absorbing but we hope it will bring us together.

"Just as I was coming to the end of this I had just heard that our coffee morning raised just over £2900! Words cannot express our thanks to you all."