During a violent thunderstorm, the church was struck by lightning which caused extensive damage to the shingle-clad spire and clay tiled roof slopes to the nave. 

Fildes Roofing Ltd of Bognor Regis, West Sussex was awarded the contract to re-instate the roof to the church, involving the use of new oak cleft shingles to the spire and clay peg tiles laid to the remaining roof slopes.  The spire required some new structural timbers (one had been vapourised and others badly damaged by the lightning strike).  A high level of skill was demonstrated by two senior operatives, (Yusof Abdullah and Pete Cullingham) in re-shingling the spire.  The project won the National Federation of Roofing Contractors Award 2007 in the Wooden Shingles and Shakes category.

Damage by lightning strike to St Andrews Church, Tangmere, West Sussex

Completed roof (clay peg tiles) and spire

Completed oak cleft shingle spire