ONE Island church has been added and one near it taken off Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register for the South East.

The Church of St Mary and St Rhadegund has gone on the register and the neighbouring St John the Baptist Church at Niton has been removed after extensive renovation.

Mainly built from the local greensand stone with tiled roofs the Whitwell church is at risk mainly due to stone decay and water penetration from defective pointing and guttering.

The Grade 2 Listed St Mary and St Rhadegund was formed from two separate medieval chapels built side by side and largely re-built in the 15th and 16th centuries.

A Heritage Lottery Fund Grants for Places of Worship was accepted in 2017 to develop a repair plan.

St John the Baptist is one of 32 sites throughout the south-east to be saved this year. More than half are places of worship.

The register is the annual snapshot of the health of the historic environment.

Historic England's Clare Charlesworth said: "The register helps us to target resources to those sites which are most threatened.

"We are delighted to have removed so many places of worship from the register this year in the south east.

"Much of this success was achieved through giving expert advice for the Heritage Lottery Fund's Grants for Places of Worship scheme.

"Although this scheme has now closed, we continue to work with the HLF and the communities who care for these important buildings to improve their condition and seek new and innovative uses for them."

Historic England has given £612,000 in grant aid in 2017 - which is more than ever before.

The Hammerhead Crane at Cowes received the largest grant - £117,000 for urgent structural repairs.

Island buildings which remain on the register are: St Saviour's, Shanklin; St Paul's, Shanklin; St John's, Sandown; Sts Thomas, Newport; All Saints, Godshill; St Mary's, Ryde; St James', East Cowes; St Mary's, Brading; St Boniface Old Church, Bonchurch; Holy Trinity, Ryde; Holy Trinity, Ventnor; Norris Castle, East Cowes; two bowl barrows near Puck House, Fishbourne; medieval settlement, East Ashey, Ryde; Northwood House, Cowes; Hammerhead Crane, Cowes; Bouldnor battery, Shalfleet; Yaverland Battery; Swainston |Manor park and garden; remains of Old Quarr Abbey, Binstead; Ryde, Brading, Carisbrooke, Cowes, Godshill and Newport conservation areas.