WORK has started today to demolish a church despite a campaign by parishioners to save the building.

Workers arrived at Saint Margaret Clitherow Roman Catholic Church in Birch Hill this morning to begin taking down the building, which has been closed for more than a year following water damage from repeated thefts of its copper roofing.

Many parishioners had called for the church to be repaired and re-opened. They had appealed to the church authorities and said today they were surprised and disappointed that work had started.

The Roman Catholic Church's Diocese of Portsmouth has confirmed that ashes interred in the Garden of Remembrance at the site in Ringmead would not be disturbed. The diocese has previously said it would be too expensive to repair the church.

For more, see the Bracknell News on Thursday.

* What do you think of the church being demolished? Have your say below or email letters@bracknellnews.co.uk