Teens destroy church Christmas and memory trees

A church might have to close its doors outside of service times after it was targeted by teenage vandals, a priest said.

Christmas trees, floral arrangements as well as a tree to help people remember their loved ones were torn down at St Andrew the Apostle Church in Holt, Norfolk, on Friday afternoon.

The Reverend Canon Howard Stoker, the Rector of Holt with High Kelling, said it was "awful" to see and showed a "lack of respect".

He said he was alerted when the teenagers rang the church bell.

Father Stoker said he heard the bell chime at about 15:45 GMT.

He found a group of teenage girls who had turned over three large Christmas trees and a flower display.

"We have a children's corner in the church and they turned over boxes of pens, crayons, scissors and threw them around the church," he said.

"It's awful to see at any time of the year, but particularly, I think the lack of respect they have for the space that they're in and the things in that space, and particularly the memory tree that was donated to us by Lloyd Durham Funeral Services.

"It's been there since the beginning of December and there's been a steady stream of people coming to write the names of departed loved ones on gift tags and then hang them on the tree.

"It's disrespectful to the memory of people who are no longer here."

The church is usually open in the day and offers a quiet space where the community can reflect and pray.

However, Father Stoker said he would have to consider keeping the church shut outside of services if the anti-social behaviour did not stop.

He felt this would be "such a shame" for the church and its community.

The mess inside the church was cleared away and the names on the memory tree were replaced while officers were made aware of the issue.

"I just feel sad for them in many ways that they have nothing better to do," Father Stoker said.

"I think part of their motivation is wanting attention - the fact that they rang the bell to let us know they were there and this seems to be their pattern.

"I think it's out of them wanting attention but they are not going about it in the right way and they're not getting the right sort of attention either."

He explained it had not been the first time the church has had issues with anti-social behaviour.

"We have tried to engage with them over the years - probably the last two years we've been having problems with them.

"Then they bite the hand that feeds them or you try to give them some positive attention and they turn it back on you."

Norfolk Police has been approached for comment.

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