THE scaffolding is down and Worcester's newest church is preparing to open its doors.

Red Hill Baptist Church is currently in Cannon Street, off London Road, but will relocate to St Peter's Drive, St Peter's once the new £1.6m development is complete.

The church, upon which building work started almost one year ago, will be renamed St Peter's Baptist Church and is expected to be open by February.

Assistant minister Steve Thomson said: "The builders should be handing it over to us in January. It's coming on now and it's getting to the stage where you can actually see it now there's no scaffolding.

"I think it looks fantastic. It's obviously a very modern building and not built as a traditional church.

"I think it's going to serve the needs of the church and our community really well. I am hoping that because it is a different type of church building that people will be curious and come along. Everyone's really looking forward to it.

"We have been searching for new premises for about 14 years - to have one now is really exciting."

Funds to pay for the building have been raised throughout the last 10 years by donations from the congregation.

The site will include two halls, a lounge, kitchen, and multi-purpose rooms for hire and will host a range of activities for the community. It will not have the features of many traditional churches such as an organ, stained glass windows or bells. The existing site, which is owned by the church, is currently for sale and the money from this will go towards the new building.

The building, which is more than 100 years old, is too small for the church's 250-strong congregation, meaning that Sunday morning services had to be held at nearby Nunnery Wood High School.