Diocese of East Anglia Historic Churches Officer, Matthew Champion, who has been helping to sort out the issues, said: “A specialist team of conservation stonemasons was on site at OLEM all weekend, using a truck hoist to survey the upper level stonework, and then remove any stones that were considered to be a potential danger to the public. This operation was completed on Monday July 31, allowing the city council to reopen Hills Road later this afternoon.
“Potential problems with some of the stonework on the Grade I listed church were first identified in a specialist high-level access report undertaken as part of the regular series of property surveys. This report is the first part of a series of emergency measures being undertaken by the parish and diocese to ensure the safety of the public, while a project design is drawn up in association with local and national authorities to restore the building to its former glory.”