IS it a concrete skyscraper being built on the edge of Dartmoor? No, it's just Sourton church tower swathed in scaffolding and covering protective sheets.

The good news is that at long last repair work has begun on the 14th century tower of St Thomas à Becket Church, the roof and walls of which have been leaking for years.

The work will cost approximately £134,000 and is due to be finished in August, when hopefully the bells can be rung again.

The English Heritage supported project can go ahead thanks to the valiant work of local people whose fundraising efforts and sales of cream teas have brought in more than £5,000 since April last year. This is enough matched funding to draw down the English Heritage repair grant of £87,000.

The vicar at St Thomas à Becket, the Rev Geoff Harris, said he was looking forward to the tower being revealed again in its full glory.

He said: 'It is all possible thanks to the hard work of people such as Jenny Pratt and Jackie Hill, in particular, and the members of the church council — they have been brilliant in raising money, including £5,000 in selling cream teas alone.

'We can now look forward to seeing the church tower repaired, restored and hopefully, watertight and will then be in position to maintain and make repairs as and when it is needed to the church.'

The charitable trusts and organisations, from which Sourton Parochial Church Council has received money or promises of grants, include Allchurches Trust, the Archdeacon's Fund, Dartmoor National Park Authority, Dartmoor Trust, Devon Church Bell Restoration Fund, Devon Historic Churches Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Headley Trust, Listed Places of Worship, Manifold Trust, Pennon Environment Fund/Viridor, Sharpe Trust, Veneziana Fund, Viscount Amory's Charitable Trust and the Wolfson Foundation/Church Buildings Council.

Dartmoor walkers and Granite Way cyclists will be pleased to hear that despite meeting its target, cream teas will continue be sold at Sourton Parish Hall every Sunday in August to boost the church restoration fund.