A Victorian church's bid to restore its crumbling spire has been bolstered after it received Lottery support.

St Paul's Church, in Bath Road, Hounslow West, was this week awarded £15,400 by the Heritage Lottery Fund so it can prepare its application for a full £259,500 grant.

The 19th century church was last year added to English Heritage's At Risk Register of prized buildings which are in danger of being lost forever. The damage to its spire is so bad the weather vane and one of the gargoyles had to be removed for safety reasons.

Should it secure the full Lottery grant, the money would be used to repair the tower, spire and stonework, as well as for some internal improvements.

The church's minister, Libby Etherington, said: "I am thrilled that we are receiving such support in saving our precious church building.

"It will enable the church to continue to be at the centre of the local community and to play an important and growing spiritual, social, educational and welfare role in our Hounslow community."

St Paul's was built in 1873/4 and its spire has become a local landmark. The church closed for about 18 months before reopening in 2012 and has since worked hard to re-establish its place at the heart of the community.

It runs a free Wednesday morning community café and hosts a pre-school group, Messy Church children's play sessions and the local Brownie and Guide groups, as well as operating a food bank.

The church has also recently launched a language café where people can practise their English and is working with Wellington Road Primary School on an educational booklet so local pupils can learn about the history of the building and its environs.