An elderly man fed up with the sound of church bells took drastic action on Sunday when he locked a team of bellringers inside the church where they were practising.

The unidentified man climbed the steps to the belfry of Saint John the Evangelist, in Sharow, near Ripon, Yorkshire, and vented his anger on the six musicians, swearing at them and threatening to damage their cars.

He then proceeded to trap the group inside the belfry by wedging a piece of wood in the tower door.

They were freed around half an hour later by church member Sandra Price, who heard them banging as she locked up.

She told the Daily Mail: “I wandered up at 5.10pm and heard this stamping and I thought that was a funny way to ring the bells - it sounded more like Irish dancing!”

The bellringers had come up to Sharow from the south of England for the three-hour practice session.

A complaint has been made against the man but police said they are not investigating the incident.