Berlin  - Mourners had a lucky escape on Tuesday when a church bell fell from a tower during a funeral in a Berlin suburb.

The 6.7-ton bell came loose when it began pealing at the start of the service in the protestant Church of the Cross in Schmargendorf.

The bell hurtled 5 metres towards the ground before coming to rest in one of the tower's steel supports. Nobody was injured.

The fire brigade used a heavy duty crane to secure the bell. (dpa)