A government and lottery grant will cover more than half the costs of repairing a landmark Keighley church.

The £68,000 grant will subsidise essential roofing work on the 19th century Keighley Shared Church.

News of the windfall was followed yesterday by an announcement that Keighley is to receive another huge lottery boost.

Local groups have won grants totalling over £30,000 under the Awards for All programme.

At Keighley Shared Church, worshippers have already raised several thousand pounds towards the cost of repairing the building, and plan to raise a further £4,000.

Priest-in-charge the Rev Peter Mott hopes to find the remaining £28,000 over the next few months by applying to national grant-giving bodies.

Repairs are urgently needed to properly waterproof the roof of the north aisle, and in the longer term the south aisle roof.

Without the roof work the church may be forced to shut its doors after over a century and a half of worship.

Mr Mott said water was seeping into the building and some of the decorations were discoloured.

He said: "Temporary repairs were carried out with asphalt in the 1970s, but it is now bubbling up in warm weather."

Church bosses originally believed the repairs would cost about £88,000, and applied for an English Heritage/Lottery grant to supplement local fundraising.

An English Heritage expert estimated the cost of repairing just the north aisle roof at £124,679, including architects' fees and a temporary scaffolding.

The organisation agreed to give a 55 per cent grant of £68,000, leaving the church to find the rest.

The church is entitled to a VAT rebate of £11,790 and has more than £16,000 in hand, including £1,000 from local businesses and organisations.

Mr Mott is optimistic of raising the outstanding £24,000 through grants from the landfill tax and bodies such as the Historic Churches Preservation Society.

The £124,679 covers the cost of replacing asphalt with lead or steel on the north side of the church only, plus stonework improvements. Repairs to the south aisle are earmarked for next year.

More than £40,000 of renovation work has been carried out over the past five years, including re-roofing the tower and repairing stained glass windows.

Steeton Male Voice Choir is holding a concert on April 27, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £4 from Mr Mott on 01535 601499, or on the door.

Anyone wishing to help meet the repair costs should phone Mr Mott or e-mail him at peter@mottp.freeserve.co.uk.

Full details of the groups which received grants in the Awards for All programme will be printed in next week's Keighley News.