A FAMOUS church where Guy Fawkes was baptised and which has been in desperate need of repair for years has been given nearly £6m by an anonymous donor.

St Michael Le Belfry church, which stands next to York Minster, in the heart of the city, dates back to 1525, and is currently used as a resource church for York Diocese.

This involves working as a centre to help train and develop new leaders, revitalise old churches and encourage new ones across the region and further afield.

The initial building project, which is due to start this summer, includes substantial repairs to the fabric of the ancient church including stonework, stained glass and a new roof, alongside rebuilding the bell tower.

There will also be major work carried out internally to reorder the layout of the traditional church to make it more flexible for worship and for the work of a church in the 21st century.

Vicar, Rev Matthew Porter said he was amazed when he was told of the decision by the anonymous donor to give the church £5.9m specifically for the updating.

He added: "When I received the news, it is fair to say that I was astounded by the generosity of this gift and the phenomenal provision of God. To know we can go ahead with the building restoration in the knowledge that most, if not all, of the funding is in place is both a privilege and a responsibility.

"It’s important we create a space which will benefit many people and support our vision. It’s wonderful to know that this also releases us as a church to consider other priorities which require our finances."