A vicar’s plan to prop up the walls of his centuries-old church with human hair has received a £163,000 donation to help with the renovation.

The money is for Holy Trinity Church in High Street, Dartford, which also draws congregation members from Gravesend.

It comes from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to be spent on repairs to the church, which dates back to Saxon times.

Vicar Martin Henwood has drawn widespread national publicity after the Messenger first revealed his hair-raising plan to save the building.

Locks will be mixed with mortar by stone masons, an ancient skill that normally uses horse hair, not human.

But Mr Henwood’s idea will mean part of his congregation – and beyond – will be immortalised. Hair enables the rendering to ‘breath’ and ‘move’ with stone, a cementing quality that makes it robust and pliable.

"I’m also particularly grateful to the KM, whose publicity in breaking the story has helped us a lot.” Martin Henwood.

Mr Henwood said: “Hair we go! This has been a very generous contribution from HLF and I’m also particularly grateful to the KM, whose publicity in breaking the story has helped us a lot.”

Already human hair donations are coming in jiffy bags, and being stored in the vestry. It’s certainly representative of our wonderful community, coming in all types of hair colour – black, blonde, brunette, red, even dyed orange,” said Mr Henwood.

Latest revised estimates for the repairs are put at some £208,000 for Holy Trinity Church, recently placed on the At Risk Register of Historic England.

Mr Henwood says he is now confident he can make up the shortfall with a raft of events, the first of which will be a display at Dartford’s July Flower Festival, where he will officially launch his appeal for hair donations.

“At our stall we’ll be happy to cut a lock of visitors’ hair or receive it in an envelope.

“Every generation from Saxon times has contributed to the life of Holy Trinity and these donations will provide for our commun­ity to be part of this living memory for many years to come.”