A Hornchurch church helped to mark the start of the Olympic Games by ringing out the bells.

St Andrew’s Church in the High Street joined hundreds of people from across the country in ringing the bells for three minutes at 8.27 last Friday.

Bellringer Letitia Smith said: “It was lots of fun, everyone was so enthusiastic and people loved the idea that they were playing a part in the London 2012 Games.”

The event saw all the ten bells in the church being rung and residents also got into the spirit by bringing their own bells.

Called Work No.1197, the event was the idea of Turner Prize winning artist and musician Martin Creed.

Letitia said: “A lot of the people that came along did not have tickets for the Games, so it was nice for them to feel that were doing something worthwhile.”