Prayers were offered for swift repairs to a Warwick church after part of its ceiling fell in.

Services at St Mary the Virgin have been moved to a hall until the damage is fixed.

A statement on the Anglican church’s Facebook page said: “Sadly, this week’s heavy rains brought down the ceiling in church.

“In order to be safe, we will be holding the services in the church hall until further notice. We are very, very sorry about this, but the repair work — inside and out — may take several weeks, and will involve extensive time, logistics and costs.”

Worshippers were advised to speak to church wardens for more information.

A photograph posted on the social-media page showed where a section of the ceiling had fallen away, including part of a moulded design around a hanging light.

In another image, pieces of what looked like plaster were strewn across the aisle and between pews.

It was understood no one was inside the church when the damage happened.

One user wrote: “That is so sad. Really hope the clear up op isn’t too challenging. You are in our thoughts.”

Another commented: “So sorry to see this. Prayers for a swift clean up and repair. Grateful no one was hurt.”