The bells of the ancient parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Long Preston, once again rang out at the weekend after being silent for more than a year.

The Bishop of Bradford, the Right Rev David James, rededicated the bells at a special service.

Dating from 1762, the three bells have been repaired, refurbished and rehung thanks to grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the parish council, bell ringing associations and local supporters.

The bells, which have been restored to ring full circle, have a unique arrangement allowing the bell ropes to descend through the tower wall into the nave of the church.

The ringers are in full view of the congregation and the bells sound in their fullness within the body of the building as well as calling out to the village.

The restoration forms a key element of a village-wide Heritage Project which is bringing history alive in the village.

Bishop David also planted a Maple sapling to replace a mature tree which has been felled for safety reasons in the churchyard.

He commended the project and said prayers of blessing for the life of the community.