ANGRY appeal organisers trying their best to breathe new life into a run-down church claim teenagers are ruining their hard work.
Fund-raisers, church officials and residents, with help from the Observer, are on target to raise the £50,000 needed to re-open the historic St John’s Church in Accrington and the Accrington Pals Memorial Chapel which is housed there.
But local youths have made it their mission to undo all the hard work by:
- Knocking down the stone wall at the entrance to the church.
- Smashing windows that cost £250 each to repair.
- Spraying graffiti all over the church.
- Leaving their beer cans and rubbish all over.
- Being noisy and causing problems for nearby residents.
Andy Shepherd, Aspire campaigner and church warden, said: "It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see all our hard work being undone. So many people are trying their best to help us to re-open the church and it takes a small group to ruin it all.
"If I had the opportunity to speak to these vandals, I’d tell them to do something better with their time or at least something more productive. Vandalism has literally no point."
Simon Airey, a teacher at St John’s with St Augustine’s School, said: "The church has had lots of problems with vandalism since it closed and it is about time something was done. So many people are fighting to keep it open that it seems criminal that a gang of mindless vandals could do so much damage."
Peel and Barnfield police community support officer Marc Brooks said: "I am well aware of the recent incidents at St John’s Church and we are running several inquiries which have given us a number of leads to follow up.
"We have stepped up our high-visibility patrols in a bid to deter youths from gathering at the church.
"Any youths who are spotted near to the church will be dealt with in the appropriate manner, whether that be some friendly advice or more serious action."
