THE York Minster Bells Appeal has raised £100,000, less than three months after its launch by the Duke of York.

Significant donations have come in, enabling the appeal to reach the important milestone after fundraising got off to a slow start.

The Lord Lieutenant of East Yorkshire, Richard Marriott, travelled down to the foundry where the six bells have been cast to inspect them for himself.

He, along with other Lords Lieutenant from across Yorkshire, is supporting the campaign to raise £250,000 to pay for the bells, which are intended to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Queen Mother.

The chimes are currently on show in a museum at the John Taylor Foundry in Loughborough. Hundreds turned up over the Easter weekend to see them on display, including a number of people who travelled down from Yorkshire.

Now visitors have one final chance to see them at eye-level on Monday - May Day Bank Holiday.

The six chimes, each weighing up to three tonnes, are due to be brought to York on Thursday, May 11, but will not go on display. Instead, it is planned to raise them straight into the Minster's north-west tower with the help of a giant crane.

The Minster is keen to stress that the appeal still has a long way to go. Anyone wishing to give can send cheques, payable to York Minster Bells Appeal, to PO Box 419, York Y01 7YT, or pay into Yorkshire branches of HSBC, Nat West, Lloyds TSB, Barclays, Halifax and Bradford and Bingley. Foundry museum tours will be held on Monday at 11am and 2pm. Admission costs £3.80. For further information, call 01509 233414.