A CHURCH has been fined £3,000 after a volunteer fell down its bell tower, breaking his leg and injuring his spine.

Tony Cresswell fell six metres down the tower of St Botolph’s Church in Northfleet last July when a rotten floor collapsed beneath him as he was carrying out maintenance work on a bell.

Mr Cresswell, 55, from Sevenoaks, suffered two broken bones in his back, a break to his lower leg and a shattered heel, and had to be rescued by firefighters.

Speaking to News Shopper from his bed at Darent Valley Hospital days after the accident, the retired patent lawyer said he was “lucky to be alive”.

St Botolph’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) appeared at Dartford Magistrates’ Court on July 2, after Gravesham Council prosecuted it for breaching health and safety laws.

The PCC admitted failing to maintain the structure of the church in a safe condition and without risks to health in relation to people who are not within their employment.

During the hearing, the court heard the church in The Hill had failed to take action after an inspection of the tower in 2007 had revealed beetles had caused damage to the floor.

After the hearing, St Botolph’s Reverend Lawrence Smith said: “The PCC regrets very much that the accident happened.

“We have taken extensive guidance from an architect and there is a programme of repair work in the tower taking place between now and the end of October.”