The CEO of the Churches Conservation Trust will be visiting Portland as part of his challenge to visit 50 historic churches in 50 hours.

Peter Aiers will be attempting to set a new record this summer, visiting 50 of the country’s most treasured historic churches in the first ever ‘Great National Steeple Chase’.

The challenge is being held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the charity and aims to raise much-needed funds to tackle heritage crime.

Mr Aiers said: "This epic challenge highlights that historic churches are an intrinsic part of the English landscape and help to define where we live. These are local assets as well as being of national or indeed international significance."

Mr Aiers challenge launches on the morning of Thursday, July 25 at St George's Church on Portland. Mr Aiers will then journey across the country, calling in at 50 of the most treasured historic churches in England.

The aim of the campaign is to shine a spotlight on the charity’s invaluable work and remind people how important these buildings are to communities. To beat the clock, Peter will travel by helicopter, motorbike, microlight and speedboat.

Through the Great National Steeple Chase, the Churches Conservation Trust aims to raise £50,000 to help fight the epidemic of heritage crime.

The latest figures from the National Crime Agency have suggested that recent rises in the price of metal has attracted organised criminal gangs and has made metal theft one of the fastest-growing forms of crime across the world.

In 2018 there were 63 incidents reported of heritage crime in the UK at churches in the care of the Trust, compared to 36 in 2017, representing an alarming 75% increase of attacks at Trust churches.

The Churches Conservation Trust needs to find £2 million to repair the damage of lead theft alone.’

Mr Aiers will be calling at various churches in and around the area including St George’s Church on Portland, St Andrew's in Winterborne and St Mary's Church in Tarrant Crawford.

To support Mr Aiers and the trust visit www.visitchurches.org.uk/get-involved/donate.html?project=the-great-steeple-chase.