Priest gives his thanks after lightning bolt sparks West Bromwich church fire
The priest of a church struck by lightning has given his thanks to God that no one was hurt by the bolt.
A trail of damage was left in the wake of the thunder and lightning storm on Saturday afternoon which lasted just a few minutes.
Among the buildings hit was the Catholic St Michael and the Holy Angels Church in High Street, West Bromwich.
A wooden floor inside the building was set alight after its steeple was struck by lightning.
A metal Christmas decoration had been leaning against lead framed windows and conducted the electricity from the lightning – sparking the flames.
Fr Stan Nwanunobi today praised firefighters for their quick response.
He said: "It set fire to the upper part of the church's gallery, but the fire services came to the scene very quickly and soon had the situation under control.
"There was minimal damage to the church, save for some charred cables and the section of the stained glass window which was originally struck by lighting.
"A part of the interior wall was also broken and a small area of the gallery floor burnt. There were also some damages in the parish office as a result.
"Although the church was not open at the time, the small bookshop which opens into the church was and we give thanks to God that no one was hurt."
Watch commander Phillip Richards, who was involved in tackling the blaze, said it was lucky someone had been inside the building at the time and if it had gone unnoticed then it could have become much more serious.
