Truro Cathedral has received a half-million pound boost to its roof repair appeal thanks to a fund set up to commemorate World War One.

The cathedral has been given the £500,000 towards repairs to the south aisle and baptistry roof as part of the final round of funding from the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund.

The decision was announced as part of the final phase of the two year grants programme, which saw grants totalling £5,423,000 awarded to 24 Church of England and Catholic cathedrals for repairs including stained glass windows, stone pinnacles, and roofs as well as drainage and lighting.

Truro Cathedral launched its £2.7million roof appeal in June last year, having already received £500,000 in government grants the year before, and has collected more than £86,000 so far through it's Sign a Slate campaign alone.

The current roof is the original, in place since 1908 when the nave was completed, and the original slates have all now deteriorated to such an extent that a complete replacement is needed.

It is expected that repairs will cost £3.2 million in total, and take up to 2020 to complete.

The Dean of Truro, the Very Rev Roger Bush, said: “We are very grateful to have been awarded this second amount of grant funding for our roof appeal project. This significant boost will enable the next phase of work to begin and eventually help secure our Christian heritage for future generations. The cathedral is a place of prayer and worship but also somewhere for people to gather and hear music, see art, enjoy exhibitions and learn from lectures. The grant will enable the continued use of the building for all in our community.”

"Cathedrals are not only beautiful pieces of architecture, they hold centuries of our nation's history and are centrepieces in our communities. This important fund will help maintain and repair these historic buildings so they can be enjoyed for years to come by everyone."

Sir Paul Ruddock, chair of the Expert Panel of the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund, which assessed the grant applications, said: "England's cathedrals are at the heart of its communities and this second tranche of funding has enabled essential repairs for buildings, some of which are almost 1,000 years old. In every case, the repairs funded have prevented much more costly problems developing and we are very grateful for the government's continued support."

The fund was originally announced by former chancellor George Osborne in 2014 to allow cathedrals - seen as focal points for reflection and remembrance - to undertake urgent repair work, including keeping the building wind-proof, weather-tight, safe and open to the public during the centenary of the war.