MALMESBURY Abbey's new floodlights were turned on at a special ceremony on Sunday night.

The abbey is now illuminated by eight ground-mounted floodlights to the north and south, together with a further 14 smaller floodlights on the flying buttresses.

The Tolsey path will also be lit by five bollards.

Ron Bartholomew, who helped to run the appeal and oversaw the work, said he was thrilled with the results.

He said: "I think they look splendid.

"It's returning the abbey to what it's always been a beacon of hope. The lights will light up that beacon again that has been sadly extinguished for three years."

Both sets of lights will be controlled by an automatic system that switches on at 7pm but is light sensitive, so the floodlights will only turn on when it becomes dark enough.

The lights on the abbey will turn off at 11pm, while the Tolsey footpath will be illuminated all night.

More than 160 people attended a short dedication service at 8.30pm on Sunday introduced by the Rev David Littlefair and conducted by the Archdeacon, the Ven Alan Hawker, who switched on the lights.

The abbey has been in darkness since 1998 when the floodlighting had to be removed after a survey revealed it was no longer safe and was beyond repair.

An appeal launched last October, raised £37,500 in just four months to fund the work, which took three months to complete.