Precious vases broken by church vandals in Grimsby
CALLOUS thieves caused thousands of pounds worth of damage – and destroyed vases used for floral tributes – during a church raid.
Beryl Richardson, a flower arranger at St Mark's Church on Laceby Road, was left devastated as some of the sentimental vases were given to her by a friend who passed away.
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Beryl Richardson and the Rev Nick Nawrockyj survey the damage following the break-in at St Mark's Church in Grimsby
The damage was discovered yesterday morning – thieves had entered the flower room through a skylight and also ripped out a toilet in another room at the church.
It will costs about £2,000 just for four damaged skylights to be replaced – but Beryl's vases are irreplaceable.
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"This has upset me greatly because one of the vases they smashed was from a friend of mine, Cath Calvert, who passed away about two years ago," said Beryl, of Barry Avenue, Grimsby.
"She was a great friend of mine and items like this just can't be replaced. Cath loved carnations and I always put them in her vase.
"This place is like home to me – and the thought of someone being in here and causing pointless damage is heartbreaking.
"I love flower arranging and spend several hours in this room doing my hobby. I enjoy it that people get pleasure of seeing them displayed in the church."
Beryl has been flower arranging at the church for about six years and it's not the first time she has known thugs to cause damage at the community building.
"A window was damaged only a couple of weeks ago – and we are currently having the roof repaired because we had lead stolen from it," she said.
"The roofing has cost £17,000 – it is one thing after another."
The vandals also got through a second skylight and damaged four altogether – also pulling a toilet off the wall.
A Humberside Police spokesperson said: "A skylight was damaged and when inside 12 vases have been smashed and cisterns were pulled off the wall.
"Anyone with information is asked to call Humberside Police calling 101 quoting crime reference 1938667."
To make a donation to the church, call the parish office on 01472 358610.
Comments
by jack_knife
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 7:48PM
“Just what did these morons get out of ripping cisterns off the wall?
Oh what fun they must have had smashing all those vases. I know, lets all go around to the place they call home and do the same, then we all can have some fun. But being scumbags, they probably have nothing to worth smashing up.
Didn't anybody hear any noise in side of the church while this wanton vandalism was going on?”
by gy82a
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 2:35PM
“WHAT IS THIS AREA BECOMING , WHY SUCH A SENSELESS CRIME ???”
by sociallysuper
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 2:18PM
“Mindless cretins. I doubt they'd get more than a slap on the wrist even if they're caught such as our justice system is.”