A church near Rotherham has appealed for help to fix an ongoing mould issue. 

Worshippers at St Simon and St Jude in Thurcroft have been put off by the "scab-like" peeling on the walls caused by worsening damp in the building. 

Treasurer Phil Owen says the church faces costs of around £50,000 to tackle the problem. While grants are available, Owen says they are "few and far between". He said that the church is only receiving about £100 a week in donations. 

He told Metro.co.uk:

"We try and fundraise to the best of our ability but in the current climate it’s very, very difficult.

"I’m not very confident at all that we will get funds in the short-term. It seems a problem that there is no financial means to provide for at this stage.

"It will take us a long, long time to raise anything like that. Our fundraising during lockdown was round about £2,000, previous to lockdown you’re only talking about £3,500, £4,000 per annum."

Conservative MP Andrew Selous, who as the second estates commissioner speaks for the Church of England in the House of Commons, has warned that parishes are far off raising the funds required to meet the estimated £1 billion cost of repairs over the next five years.

Mr Owen said that any government funding would be "welcomed with open arms".

"People from the village will come to the church, but they don’t come to the church on a weekly basis," he added.

"Were the church to disappear, the village would certainly miss it."