A lightning bolt ripped a gaping hole in a 12th Century church spire as thunderstorms lashed Sussex yesterday.

The strike also blew out all but one of the church's stained-glass windows.

The congregation of St Andrew's in Tangmere, near Chichester, had spent months raising £50,000 to restore its run-down roof.

The storm is estimated to have caused more than £100,000 damage.

Chichester Cathedral was also hit but the lightning conductor saved it.

The force of the blast started a small fire in the spire but firefighters managed to put it out before the flames spread.

Ron Mundy, a gardener from Bognor, said: "There was an almighty crash and I saw the lightning hit the spire. The windows were blown out and shattered and all the roof tiles were lifted off."

Peter Hague was at home in Oving, a mile away, when he saw the lightning strike.

He said: "It was like a fireball hit the church."

St Andrew's rector Canon Colin Fowler said: "There is a tremendous mess everywhere and we won't be able to use the church for a long time."

Meanwhile, a house in Freemans Close, Billingshurst, was also struck by lightning, causing a small fire in the roof space.

A spokeswoman for West Sussex fire brigade said the fire was quickly extinguished and the hole in the roof was covered.