TENS of thousands of pounds are needed to fund the redecoration of Redbridge's only Grade I listed building.

Historic St Mary's Church, in Overton Drive, Wanstead, desperately needs a lick of paint nearly 20 years after it received its last coat in 1990.

Large areas of the ornate Georgian building's internal paintwork are flaking off, exposing older layers beneath which date back several decades.

The church - which was designed by eminent ecclesiastical architect Thomas Hardwick and opened as part of the Wanstead House estate in 1790 - already costs the parish thousands of pounds a year to maintain due to the need to repair damaged features with specific historic materials.

Canon Robert Springett, said the parish was unlikely to receive an external grant to pay the estimated £60,000 to £100,000 cost of the work - and that it would be 'a challenge' to raise the money.

He said: "We are unlikely to get a grant from English Heritage to carry out the work because it is not a structural issue.

"It will certainly be a challenge to find this money, and we will have to look at ways of raising it.

"The current coat of paint began to peel soon after it was applied because of problems with the older layers underneath.

"This time around we will need to chemically remove the older layers first to ensure there's a firm base for the new coat."

Canon Springett said different types of paint would be tested on the church's walls during the next year to assess which one is most suitable for the job.

He said: "Once work begins it could take up to two months to complete, with the church shut during that time."