More sunlight is streaming in and more bell chimes ringing out of a north Norfolk church tower after a �40,000 restoration project.

A giant west window at St James at Southrepps installed in Victorian times was causing problems by moving around in the wind and letting in water.

Now a panes-taking six-week session by stained glass experts has replaced and restored the 4m wide, 8m tall window in the 15th century tower.

The glass was not ornate multi-coloured pictures but a mass of 10,000 small green tinted sections of 'cathedral glass', which was removed and clear 'crown glass' panes put in its place, said Terry Devlin of Devlin and Plummer Stained Glass from Great Moulton in south Norfolk.

The iron skeleton bars of the window was also repaired and encased in lead to stop them damaging the stonework.

'The window now lets in more light and it is keeping the bellringers dry,' he added.

Some panes further up the tower were also removed and replaced with mesh to let the previously muffled bells sound more clearly.

The scheme has taken about six weeks to complete and was paid for through the Judith Bartram Trust, a legacy left to a trio of local churches and which has also been used to build a meeting room, office, kitchen and toilet extension at Southrepps church.