A West Oxford church is looking to trace scores of blessed babies as part of its golden anniversary celebrations.

SS Peter and Paul, in Church Way, Botley, is trying to find Anglicans who were among the first to be baptised or confirmed there to help commemorate its 50th birthday.

The church, which currently has a congregation of about 70, was built in 1958 to replace a ramshackle place of worship made from corrugated iron.

The 'tin tabernacle', as it was known, was built in 1915 and was unpopular among the local community who worked hard during the 1950s to raise at least £13,350 of the £29,000 that was needed to build the current brick church.

As part of its celebrations, SS Peter and Paul is holding a two-week festival in October and is keen to hear from anyone with photographs, memories or memorabilia of the church or Botley during the 1950s to help it with the event.

The church, which was consecrated by the then Bishop of Oxford, Dr Harry Carpenter, in the 1950s, will also be hosting an art and craft exhibition and finishing with a flower festival..

The Rev Anthony Rustell, who has been at the church for four years, said: "It should be a fantastic celebration. The church has quite an unusual history. I understand when it rained hard in the tin church, it was absolutely deafening and drowned out a lot of the sound, so the congregation was absolutely delighted when the new one was built.

"The community had to do endless jumble sales and events to raise money in the 1950s when rationing was coming to an end."

The celebrations of the church's anniversary have been planned for two years.

Dianne Cockburn, a congregation member from Yarnell's Hill, said: "It would be great to find some of the people who were among the first baptisms and confirmations."