New footage from a drone has captured the devastation caused by an arson attack which saw flames tear through a church in Greater Manchester last month.

Bird's eye-view images taken by the aircraft reveal the hollow interior of the Church of the Ascension in the Lower Broughton area of Salford after the roof and much of the interior were destroyed.

Paul Humphris, a church claims consultant at Ecclesiastical which insured the building said: "The pictures are a stark reminder of the devastation that fire can cause."

Insurers have been using the drone to assess the structural integrity of the Victorian building, in order to establish whether it is safe for preservation work to begin.

Mr Humphris added: "Our priority at this point is to secure the site and ensure that the building is structurally robust and to prevent any further damage.

"The drone footage highlighted some areas that need immediate attention so we will now work with our engineers to address this and ensure we reduce the risk of additional damage to the church."

A prominent brass eagle lectern has been found largely intact and they are hopes it can be restored to its former glory.

A 22-year-old man arrested on suspicion of arson after the blaze - which broke out at around 11.20pm on 12 February - has been released on bail until 30th March.