A dangerous wall which has been shored up by boarding for nearly a year is set to be repaired.

Work on the wall by a footpath at St Peter’s Church in St Albans is scheduled to get underway in late March.

It will be rebuilt using the original bricks and flint to preserve its character.

The wall, at the corner of the church and the Age Concern office, was taken down last year because it was in danger of collapsing.

The rebuilding project will take eight to 10 weeks, depending on the weather, and the footpath will be closed during the reconstruction.

The wall was found to be in a dangerous condition last March and was boarded off to protect the public.

A considerable amount of work had to be undertaken and permissions obtained to allow the district council to take it down and rebuild it, including a structural report and ground scans to check on the precise location of graves in the church grounds.

Demolition work was completed in mid-December and the next phase will begin during warmer weather.

Portfolio holder for housing, Cllr Brian Ellis, said: “A great deal of care has been taken over this project.

“St Peter’s Church dates back many centuries and the area around it is an important part of the city centre landscape.”