A FUND-raising campaign is to be launched next month to help clock-up £40,000 to restore a set of church bells.

The bells, at St Leonard's Church, Church Street, Padiham, were first installed in 1901. They need refurbishing and re-tuning.

In a bid to start the fund-raising ball rolling, a concert by the Nelson Arion Male Voice Choir has been organised on Saturday, March 15, and a country fair on Saturday, April 26, at Mill Hill Farm, Hapton.

Country exhibits, a falconer, a spinning demonstration, a farrier, farm exhibits and face painting will be just some of the events on offer.

John Sellick, church warden, said: "There will be a lot of work involved in raising the money, which we are estimating will take around a year.

"We hope the first event, which should attract people from all over will give us a push in the right direction."

The work to restore the bells will involve dismantling and moving the old clock situated below the bells before each of the eight bells can be lowered some 80 feet to the ground.

Mr Sellick added: "The bells will be taken away to a bell founders where they will be refurbished.

"The bell chamber will be cleaned and will be fitted with sound proofing panels to seal the tower from the elements and also redirect some of the noise from the bells.

"They will then be hoisted back into the bell chamber where they will be re-mounted and the clock re-instated."