Hundreds of people attended a 250th anniversary mass to celebrate the founding of their church community and the revival after the Reformation of the Dominican Order.

The event at St Peter's Catholic Church, Hinckley, on Monday lasted two-and-a-quarter hours and was attended by about 50 priests and religious sisters of the order from both the Nottingham and Birmingham dioceses.

It was the climax of a week of events, timed to the day to commemorate Blackfriar missionary Father Matthew Thomas Norton, who arrived in Hinckley on June 29, 250 years ago, and founded the St Peter's parish.

A service was held at Fr Norton's grave in Aston Flamville churchyard.

On Sunday there was a mass for 50 couples who had been married for 50 years or more, and Sisters Louis and Cornelia who have served the parish for more than 50 years.