AN HISTORIC Evesham church in the heart of the town is facing a £6,000 repair bill after one of its stained glass windows were smashed during a shameless act of vandalism.
Vicar of Evesham, Rev Andrew Spurr discovered the results of the attack from uninvited visitors at All Saints Church at 7.30am on January 13.
Nothing appeared to have been stolen but the vestry, a locked space, had been ransacked and the bolts of a door had been damaged in an attempt to get out of the church on Market Place.
A stained-glass window was smashed using a fork, exposing the outside grille which was installed to protect from vandalism from the churchyard.
There was no evidence of forced entry into the locked building so it was assumed someone had remained in church after it had been locked the previous evening.
But subsequent CCTV footage has identified the person who had been locked in and they were able to get out through the main door in the late afternoon of the previous day, within an hour of the church being locked for the night.
The individual left the front door ajar which means anyone could have gained access to the church overnight.
West Mercia Police responded quickly to the scene; two Scenes of Crime Officers arrived later the same morning and it’s hoped they will be able to discover forensic evidence which will identify the perpetrator.
Church wardens have notified stained glass restorers whose estimate for repairing and restoring the window is in the region of £6,000.
Speaking to the Observer, Rev Spurr said: “The character we can identify from the CCTV has a chaotic life. He is a regular recipient of food from us and has shared a number of our meals in church.
“I am deeply reluctant to add to his existing burden. But he has a history of violence and I am concerned for the safety of my people who lock church at dusk.
“If indeed he can be linked to the damage to the window, I don’t see how we can avoid his prosecution; £6,000 is a lot of money and puts an unnecessary burden on church funds,” he added.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
