Ipswich church tower badly damaged by fire and smoke

About 40 firefighters tackled flames that engulfed a historic church in the centre of Ipswich on Saturday morning.

The fire broke out at St Mary at the Elms, a 13th Century church, in Elm Street just before 0830 BST.

The fire severely damaged the church's tower and a crew spent much of the day monitoring for hot spots, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said.

Father Paul Hamlet, assistant priest, said he hoped services could be held outside the church this weekend.

"But we will have to look for another place to hold them for the near future," he said.