THE launch of a trust fund aimed at generating cash for the upkeep of Canterbury Cathedral has been delayed.

The Canterbury Cathedral Trust Fund had been due to be launched amid a fanfare of publicity this spring.

But a spokesman for the Cathedral said that September was now the more likely launch date.

Christopher Robinson said: "Preparations are still going well, but there some slight glitches. It’s a bureaucratic hold-up, but we are also looking a revamp of Cathedral websites."

It has been announced that Allan Willett, the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, will chair the body of trustees which will oversee the fund.

Brig David Innes will run the fund on a day-to-day basis. He has spelled out a vision of a worldwide campaign to raise the money needed to repair the Cathedral’s masonry, roof and windows plus general upkeep.

He said: "The long-term aim is to have in place a perpetual fund that would be able to provide an income for the Cathedral."