Heritage at risk as ministers slash repairs assistance

'Many churches now have to raise money to pay the taxman'

- Sir Philip Rutnam

NOTHING lies more at the heart of our country's culture than its historic churches. In Canterbury, you will find the oldest church in England, St Martin's. It's still used for worship as it has since Augustine arrived in 597.

Our churches have seen it all, good and bad. They're places of celebration from weddings and christenings to coronations and jubilees. They've stood strong through civil war, plagues and pandemics. Through our deepest national tragedies, they've been not only a place of comfort but response.

On December 21 1988, when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie, it was Tundergarth Church that was the base for the police and Army. The funeral services of several victims took place there and three were laid to rest in the churchyard.

This year marks 37 years since the attack. People from around the world still come to pay respects to those who died. More than 50,000 have signed the visitors' book at the remembrance centre.

But all of this could have been lost forever. The church was in such poor condition that water was leaking through the roof and plasterwork was crumbling. Parts of the building were hazardous. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of repairs were needed to keep it open.