A MOTHER has launched a fundraising campaign to help out a historic church gutted by a fire that caused £15,000 worth of damage.

Zoe Perkin started the collection online after Monday's blaze at Holy Infant and St Anthony Church in Astley Bridge destroyed a number of statues and damaged parts of the building.

Upon hearing news of the fire, Mrs Perkin, who has children at the school, decided to set up the fundraiser for the church that she said means 'so much' to her.

She said: "We are like many who end up dwindling in and out of church due to our busy family lives and other commitments so I've set the fundraising page up to show Father Billy Molloy (priest) we are thinking of him and know how much the church means to him as well as us all as a community."

Mrs Perkin has four children — Owen, aged 11, Cory, aged seven, Tommy, aged five, and Isobel, aged seven months.

Owen went to Holy Infant's before moving to Thornleigh and Cory and Tommy are currently at the primary school.

Mrs Perkin said: "It’s not me who deserves the recognition for simply setting up a fundraising page, it’s Father Billy who has put so much into this church and into the community.

"He really has turned our church around he’s one in a million Father Billy he makes time to speak to everyone in church, he does a lot charity funding and is there to help anyone who needs it.

"Like many of other families we are back in church regularly on weekends now for our upcoming event with the children but I’m hoping we manage to take time out in the future after this to keep going down to show our support.

"If anyone deserves our support it’s Father Billy. If people can donate any sort of amount regardless how little, it would be much appreciated and put to good use in our church thank you for your support."

The fire broke at around 2pm on Monday and a passer-by called the fire service after seeing smoke billowing from the building.

It was originally believed the fire was started by candles but is now thought to have been an electrical fault.

It broke out near the altar and involved the main hall and the roof of the church.

The priest, Father Billy Molloy, had been away from the church at the time, giving holy communion to people in the community who are housebound and came back to get a knock on the door saying there was a fire.

The fire was only smouldering and did not spread but the church was heavily smoke-logged.

Last year, the church celebrated its 140th anniversary with a mass led by the Bishop of Salford, John Arnold.

The church opened as a Mission Parish in 1877 and until 1978 was served by priests from St Mary's in Bolton.