Vicar's sadness as yobs target Market Drayton church

Thousands of pounds of damage has been caused at St Mary's Church in Market Drayton.

The vicar, the Reverend Martin Tanner, said it was the latest in a series of problems.

During the past 12 months the building, in Church Street, has seen four incidents of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.

The Rev Tanner said: "There has been a bit of petty vandalism, it is just very sad. One of the graves is from 1899, it is 114 years old and another one damaged was older than that.

"They have literally been pushed straight on the ground.

"There has been consistent petty vandalism for a long time. They broke the railings a year or two back, now it is the headstones."

Reverend Tanner said that in July vandals took hard apples from a tree in the grounds and threw them at the windows of the church causing "thousands of pounds" of damage.

The gravestones belong to the relatives of the deceased. But because no-one has been buried in the graveyard since World War Two the Rev Tanner said church leaders were not sure what to do.

He said in the latest incident a solid marble cross was knocked over and damaged.

"We came in the next day and found there has been some trouble," he added. "It is such a shame but it is a public footpath. There is not a lot we can do."

Toby Shergold, spokesman for West Mercia Police, said officers were alerted to an incident of criminal damage which occurred some time between 6.30pm on September 29 and 1.30pm on September 30.

He said: "They have caused damage to a marble cross grave situated by the west door.

"The cross had been broken in three places and was laying on the ground. It is being investigated.

"Anyone who saw anything suspicious at the time should contact officers on 101."

Mr Shergold added that the church has suffered four reports of criminal damage or anti-social behaviour in the last 12 months.