ST MARY’S Church ' Spire in Peril' Appeal will be the beneficiary of proceeds from the Ross Choristers Community Choir's forthcoming 'Spring Sing' Concert.

The choir's Christmas concert in December raised £1,380 for the cause and it is hoped that on the Sunday afternoon of May10 that figure may be matched or even exceeded.

St Mary's Church is the atmospheric setting for the event, which is scheduled to commence at 3pm.

The varied programme will comprise enduring favourites, a medley from a popular musical show, solos, duets, an audience singalong and an inaugural barbershop item.

Tickets are available from choir members or an entry payment of £12 can be made at the door.

The Spire in Peril' Appeal was launched following an investigation over the swaying of the four pinnacles at the top of the tower.

And when specialists went to carry out an investigation into the pinnacle problems, repairs to the lightning conductor were also undertaken at the very top of the spire, where it was revealed that a similar problem existed with the spire.

And coupled with a badly rusting steel rod running down through the top, solid section of the spire that is beginning to cause the stonework to fracture as the rod expands.

The solution will be to dismantle the top section of the spire and rebuild it.

However, this work is far from straightforward. The three pinnacles were renewed in 1985, they were partially dismantled and rebuilt with changes to the stainless-steel rod and pinning in 2009.

A spokesperson for the appeal committee said: “Whatever we do will be expensive. Some have already questioned the wisdom of putting the pinnacles back, indeed one option would be to remove them entirely.

“This would have a detrimental effect on the landscape of the town, and we feel should be a last resort.”