Dartmouth's 'marathon' bell-ringers have raised enough cash to get the clappers going again in St Petrox Church.

Earlier this year, a 14-strong band of bellringers hiked the one-mile route between St Petrox Church and St Saviour's Church – 26 times.

And they carried with them the church's broken bell wheel which is costing more than £1,000 to repair and get the church bells ringing again.

The sponsored walk raised £650 and, with another £500 from the St Petrox Trust land charity, there is now enough to cover the £1,144 repair bill.

Tim Chapman, the tower captain, said the money means the church itself will not have to 'pay out the expense of a new bell wheel'.

He explained: 'Earlier this year the second bell wheel at St Petrox church was very badly damaged when the rope caught around the bell and ripped through its supporting wheel.

'At first it was hoped that a repair could be carried out but it soon became apparent that a replacement would be necessary at a cost of £1,144.'

He said 14 members of the Dartmouth Town Ringers raised over £600 towards the cost of the replacement by means of a sponsored walk, carrying the old wheel 26 times between St Saviour's and St Petrox churches – a distance of about one mile – so completing a marathon walk.

Tim, who organised the event, said the ringers were to be congratulated for their efforts and thanked sponsors for their generosity.