A PEAL of church bells saw a Bible reading marathon come to an end on Sunday. The organisers had set themselves 72 hours to read the whole of the Bible – and the task was completed with four minutes to spare. And the efforts of volunteers helped raise alm

A PEAL of church bells saw a Bible reading marathon come to an end on Sunday.

The organisers had set themselves 72 hours to read the whole of the Bible - and the task was completed with four minutes to spare.

And the efforts of volunteers helped raise almost £13,000 towards the cost of repairs to the roof of St Peter and St Paul Church in Bassingbourn.

Vic Nickson, one of the organisers, said: "Participants expressed how deeply moved they were to have taken part and the lasting impressions their reading had left with them."

The marathon began on Thursday evening during which Jeremy Sallis, of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Drivetime programme took part in a reading and interviewed those involved.

Jeremy Marshall, the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, arrived on Friday in ceremonial Royal Court dress for a reading alongside schoolchildren.

And later during the -weekend Andrew Lansley, MP for south Cambridgeshire, and his wife Sally, took part in the marathon.

The marathon began with the opening words of the Book of Genesis and ended with the closing words of the Book of Revelation.

The Rev Dr Donald McFadyen, vicar of St Peter and Paul Church, led a service of thanksgiving at the end of the marathon readings.

Those taking part had come from Bassingbourn and the surrounding area - as well as from overseas.

Mr Nickson said pupils from Bassingbourn Primary School and students at Bassingbourn Village College had played "a significant part" in the marathon.

"They impressively accomplished reading without prior notice of texts," he said.

In all 300 people were involved in the readings, which saw 433 parts of the Bible read during 10-minute slots.