It is one of only a few churches in the country to boast a full set of 12 bells.

But in the last two years, the entire collection at St Peter’s Church in Wolverhampton has only rang out across the city once.

Now members of the bellringing team are appealing for new recruits, as the church prepares to celebrate the centenary year of the bells in 2011. Originally the church had between five and six bells dating back to the 16th century.

By 1698 there were eight.

They were then recast in 1911 to form the current complement of 12 bells, which weigh up to 1.7 tons each.

Richard Robson, 60, a former civil engineer who has been bellringing since the 1960s, said it was important to uphold the tradition.

“Over the last couple of years the number of bellringers here has been dropping,” he said. “It’s definitely a dying art.

“Not many people are showing an interest in bellringing anymore which is a real shame.”

The city centre church is one of only about 130 towers in the world that boasts a full set of 12 bells. Others include St Magnus the Martyr Church on London Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The heaviest of the bronze and tin bells at St Peter’s, the tenor, weighs 1.7 tons and smallest, the treble, almost 0.25 tons. They are all hung 65 feet above the ringing chamber.

Mr Robson, of Coven, added learning how to ring bells was not as hard as many people think.

“It’s all about technique and timing,” he said. “There is a skill to learning it and it is within the capabilities of most people. Bell ringing is like riding a bike. You have to practice for weeks but after that you pick it up.”

Another bellringer, Catherine Pollard, 24, of Wynn Road, Penn, said practice made perfect when it came to the ancient art.

“I have been bellringing for 10 years,” she said.

“My grandparents were both bellringers and that’s how I got into it. I really enjoy it now and once you get into it you tend to stick with it.”

The bellringers meet at the church every Monday from 7.45-9pm and Sunday from 10-11am.

Anyone interested in bellringing should call the St Peter’s parish office on 01902 422642.