A TEME Valley Church is being destroyed by birds that have pecked their way to a £90,000 bill at St Michael’s Church in Knighton-on-Teme.

The sharp bills of green woodpeckers have sent parishioners, Church of England chiefs and English Heritage into a flap.

Years of pecking mean that the historic church is now being seriously damaged by water getting in through holes the size of small plates.

It has left the Church of England to pick up a bill that is rapidly approaching six figures.

But help is at hand in the form of a grant of nearly £70,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The church is a listed building which is a good thing in that it helps to make the funding available.

However, the work will have to be done to strict specifications and overseen by English Heritage and the Church of England. Special permission will also have to be granted by Malvern Hills District Council.

Until then the attractive green woodpeckers can continue to do their stuff that has involved pecking holes some of which are up to five inches in diameter in the wooden tiles on the bell turret.

Peter Morgan, who is involved with the restoration project, said that the problem has been going on for several years and now the holes are so serious that it is allowing water to get in and damage the flooring in the church.

It is hoped that the restoration will be able to start in the spring of next year but this is dependent upon both the required permission being granted by the various bodies and the money being available.

The parish has so far raised around £5,000 of the £20,000 that is needed in addition to the Heritage Lottery Grant.

Money has been raised through a range of activities including an auction and a scheme in which a silver tree has been planted in the churchyard and people pay an amount to add a leaf.

While it is not believed that the wood peckers have been nesting inside the bell turret they do use it as a roost and can get territorial.

One church member making an inspection of the bell turret was attacked by a number of the birds.

The tiles, or shingles, as they are known were put onto the building in the 1950s and are made from cedar from Canada. But it is hoped the replacements, that will be made from riven oak, will prove be a tougher proposition and should have a life span of at least 100 years.

St Michael’s is regularly used by worshippers in one of the most beautiful churches in the area and dates back to Norman times although it is believed that there has been a church on the site since the time of the Saxons. The building is believed to be on the site of a deserted village.

The green variety is the largest member of the woodpecker family and is found in heavily wooded areas of the countryside.

It is noted for its call that can sound like a laugh and has a strong bill with a long sticky tongue that is used to pick up ants.