A FIRE-blackened Victorian church that survived bombing in the war has joined a list published today of North-East historical treasures at risk of being lost forever.

Holy Trinity Church, in Stockton, lost its spire when it was hit in a bombing raid during the Second World War.

The landmark building is one of 34 sites in the region designated as "at risk" by English Heritage.

The figure means that the North-East has the highest percentage of buildings included on the organisation's Risk Register, a record of the nation's most vulnerable grade I and II-listed buildings and monuments.

Carol Pyrah, English Heritage's regional director for the North-East, said: "Holy Trinity Church illustrates some of the difficulties in conserving ruins.

"The North-East has a large number of ruined structures on the register and we are working with a range of owners and local authorities to ensure that they are repaired and interpreted."

However, English Heritage said the condition of 14 buildings in the region had improved significantly over the past year, leading to them being taken off the register.

These include an 18th Century orangery and stables at the Gibside Estate, in Rowlands Gill, County Durham.

The Gibside Estate, once the home of the Bowes family - ancestors of the late Queen Mother - is now run by the National Trust, and it has restored the orangery and stables.

Holy Trinity, which lies on landscaped burial ground at the southern end of Stockton High Street, has been empty for almost 20 years after being gutted by fire.

Stockton Borough Council acquired the site in 1991.

Councillor Alex Cunningham, the council's cabinet member for education, leisure and cultural services, said it would cost at least £400,000 to renovate the church, funding which would need to be found from outside sources.

He said: "It's an imposing building at the approach to the town centre, it is important to our heritage and it is the backdrop to many events at the world-renowned Stockton International Riverside Festival."

Register of Buildings at Risk

New entries

North Road Railway Station, in Darlington, which opened in 1842 as part of the original Stockton and Darlington Railway and now needs urgent repairs to seriously decayed roof trusses;

Ford Colliery, Ford near Berwick;

Shildon Engine House, Blanchland;

Blenkinsopp Castle, Kirkhaugh Bridge Abutment, Kirkhaugh,

Northumberland;

Cocklaw Tower Wall, Northumberland;

28-30 The Close, Newcastle;

Cliff House, Cullercoats.

Removed from list

Grey Towers, Middlesbrough;

Bath House and Dutch Barn, Raby Estate, County Durham;

Unthank Hall, Stanhope, County Durham;

The World Bird Research Centre, Glanton, Northumberland;

Hareshaw Iron Works, Bellingham;

Hartford Hall, near Bedlington, Northumberland;

The Stable Block and Orangery, Gibside Estate near Rowlands Gill;

Burradon Tower, North Tyneside;

33-35 Clayton Street, Newcastle.