A Guisborough church has raised more than £750 towards missionary work being carried out by a vicar and his family in Africa.

The Reverend Rodger Petch left the UK and set up home in Nigeria in September.

He was followed shortly afterwards by his Nigerian wife, Sarah, and their children, Jason, three, and Jade, one.

The parish of St Nicholas Church, in Guisborough, is holding regular fundraising events, to help keep the family in Africa so that Mr Petch can carry out his work with the Church Missionary Society (CMS). He was commissioned to go to Nigeria by the CMS at his home parish of Christ Church, Great Ayton in September, last year.

A spokesperson from St Nicholas Church said: "We are getting regular reports from Nigeria.

"Rodger is already well into his work and his wife is beginning to take on new responsibilities outside the home with the town children now settled in school.

"But it has not all been plain sailing as churches in a local town have been burned to the ground."