A vicar and a blind woman abseiled off a church's bell tower on Saturday to raise funds for its restoration.

Reverend Simon Talbott, of St Martin’s Church, Epsom, volunteered to take his first abseil plunge at the church's diamond jubilee fair.

And Carol Sharpe, a blind member of the church’s congregation, also abseiled, along with 45 others, to raise money for the Bells Appeal.

The appeal was launched by ringers of the church’s ten bells earlier this year to refurbish them on behalf of St. Martin’s.

Rev Talbott said of the £14,000 needed for the restoration work, the sponsored abseils raised £6,000.

He said: "We were blessed with excellent weather and three hundred people turned up on the day.

"I enjoyed the abseil very much. I opened the fair from the top of the church tower with a megaphone and then abseiled down which was a great experience. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.

"I don’t have a problem with heights and we had a very professional team running the abseils.

"Carol went down just after me and she was absolutely superb. She was very cool about it and was well looked-after by the abseil team.

"The work on the bells doesn’t start until October 1 but the abseil was to be a major part of the fundraising and it has been hugely successful.

"I would like to thank everybody who volunteered to do a sponsored abseil."