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A VICAR believes it was a miracle his church wasn't burned to the ground after a fire smouldered away inside it for five days without anyone realising.

Fr Peter Needham and members of the congregation arrived at St Paul's Church, Brierley for mass last Friday morning to find the church full of smoke and the carpet, floorboards and antique furniture ruined.

Flames had travelled along the carpet and up the wall but the fire burnt itself out before it reached the ceiling otherwise fire-fighters and Fr Peter fear the whole church, which dates back to 1869, would have gone up.

The fire brigade believe the fire started when Fr Peter blew out the candles before he locked up after last Monday's service and a glowng cinder from the wick dropped onto the carpet.

Fr Peter said: "There was scorching up to the ceiling but it didn't catch hold, which is a miracle because that would be the end of the church.

The church is open as normal, despite smelling of smoke, and is due to be industrially cleaned and the carpet replaced.