A CHURCH minister has spoken out over the lack of response by the police after two of his churches were badly vandalised.

Canon Jim Duxbury said thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to St Margaret's Church, in Hapton, at the weekend, and that vandalism was an on-going problem at St Anne's and St Elizabeth Church, in Padiham Green.

But he added that despite numerous phone calls to the police to report such incidents nothing had been done to prevent further attacks.

He said: "The vandalism at St Margaret's is not just children throwing stones at windows because some of the windows have been deliberately battered.

"We think it happened Saturday and Sunday nights. It is definitely on a scale we have never seen before.

"I just can't see why they do it. It's just mindless and they are someone's children, someone's responsibility.

"We don't know who did it but my suspicions having seen it is that it is not little children but young people. "The other church in Padiham Green is like Beirut. It's horrific. There's vandalism at the back, graffiti, slates off the roof and it's continuously happening.

"We have contacted the police on numerous occasions especially about Padiham Green and have had meetings at the church about it.

"They have been contacted by a mobile telephone from inside the church because some of the old people were frightened and some residents have phoned them when they have seen something happening and there's been no response whatsoever.

"We are helpless to do anything about it because we are receiving no help from the police. It's not that they haven't been notified time and time again. People are fed up of ringing."

Sergeant John Fryer, of Padiham police, said: "It's unfair to say there's been no response because we are investigating things.

"PC Gregson is making enquiries about the vandalism at the Padiham Green church and photographs have been taken of the damage.

"I'm not sure who is dealing with the other church but they are both being investigated and we believe it is going to be youths rather than malicious acts by adults."

Anyone with details about the incidents should call PC Gregson on 01282 472330.

Picture: Canon Jim Duxbury surveys some graffiti on a door at St Anne and St Elizabeth's Church, Padiham Green. 'It's horrific,' he says.