Conservation areas in two town centres are no longer at risk of decay.

English Heritage removed Braintree town centre, Bradford Street in Braintree and Witham town centre from its recent Heritage At Risk list.

Businesses in Witham’s conservation area were given grants to improve their shop fronts and in Braintree the number of vacant and run down shops was reduced and enforcement action was taken against unauthorised adverts.

However, All Saints Church in The Street, Stisted, has been added to this year's At Risk list.

The Grade I listed church dates back to the 12th century and woodpeckers have destroyed the roof by chipping away at the cedar shingles and jackdaws are nesting in the holes they leave behind.

* Full story in Thursday's Times.