The congregation of a medieval church in Cornwall has celebrated after hearing its bells ringing for the first time in half a century - but without any bell-ringers.

The five bells at St Sampson's Church near Callington, have each been fitted with an electromagnetic hammer which is triggered by a touchscreen button in the church. The bells have been pre-programmed with a selection of peals for a range of occasions.

The bells, including the tenor bell which dates back to 1831, were removed years ago because of safety fears. However, despite a four year renovation project, they were deemed too delicate to be rung by traditional hand ropes. The cost of a full restoration would be in the region of £200,000, while the current electromagnetic system has cost in the region of £40,000.

Churchwarden Judith Ayres told the BBC: "As we need the roof fixed we couldn't justify raising the funds for the bells.

"Now we have this system that anyone can push the buttons, they're programmed to ring on a Sunday morning, so we don't have to do anything.

"We can put a funeral toll, we can play for weddings, or we can play them all - with our one finger."

A member of the congregation, Miranda Lawrance-Owen, added that she was delighted to hear the bells chime again: "It was so exciting. It was wonderful and made me want to cry."

Approval for the automated system was given by the Truro Diocesan Guild of Ringers.