Priest to pray for vandals who smashed windows

The Reverend Simon Pearce said apples had been picked up from a nearby tree and thrown at the church

A priest said he would pray for vandals who smashed his church's windows by throwing apples at them.

Shards of glass were left shattered on the floor of St Andrew's in Chelmsford after being targeted twice since 11 October.

The church in Melbourne Avenue invested £67,000 in upgrading its windows in 2024, but now expects to face another hefty bill.

The Reverend Simon Pearce said he was saddened by the vandalism but thanked the community for their "lovely" offers of support.

"It's really sad because we've just spent a lot of money repairing the windows," he said.

The second window was broken between 12 October and Tuesday

An apple was found lodged in one of the broken windows, believed to have been taken from a nearby crab apple tree.

The first window was broken on 11 October and the second between the following day and Tuesday.

On those responsible, Mr Pearce said: "I'll pray for them and whatever is going on in their lives. I hope they find peace.

"I hope they engage with the church in another way next time - they would be welcome."

St Andrew's Church was built in 1958 and opened the following year

The church, built in 1958, received a wave of support after news of the incident was shared on its Facebook page.

One person messaged Mr Pearce offering to donate money towards the repairs, which would otherwise be paid out of the church funds.

He added: "The outpour from the community about how sad they were and the response in general has been really nice to see.

"We try and do as much as we can to support the community, but also to enable them to be blessed."

An Essex Police spokesman said it was investigating the damage.

"If anyone has seen anything suspicious in the area, or if you have information or footage which could help us, please get in touch," he said.