Church gives up jumble sale after repeat vandalism

Volunteers said they were too disheartened to continue after vandals struck twice in two weeks

Volunteers have said they are "absolutely devastated" after vandals broke into a church for a second time in two weeks and smashed up items set out for a jumble sale.

Each weekend the event is held at Charing Cross Methodist Church in Birkenhead to raise funds for the Lighthouse Youth Club, which supports children with additional needs.

Church youth worker Denise Edwards said volunteers had taken the "heartbreaking" decision to cancel the jumble sale after the repeated break-ins left them "too disheartened to carry on".

Merseyside Police said officers were investigating reports of a burglary at the church.

The jumble sale had been planned to raise money for a local youth club

The volunteers said they believed the same group had been responsible for causing damage on 4 October and on Sunday.

Ms Edwards said she had been "gobsmacked to find everything smashed up" for the second time.

She said: "There is a local gang... who ride around on bikes wearing balaclavas.

"After the first time, I wasn't going to let them win, but now volunteers are too disheartened to try again."

'Destroyed everything'

Ms Edwards said she thought the vandals had gained access to the church on Claughton Road through a window on the flat roof of the building which had a damaged catch.

"There's hardly anything left to sell, they've destroyed everything, crockery, china, vases, bowls, that sort of thing," she said.

"As members of the church, we were charging 50p, £1, an item, and were glad to raise the cash just to give it to the kids."

The youth club is now moving the remnants of its stock out of the church building in case the vandals strike again.

The Methodist church is for sale, so the charity felt setting up cameras and other security measures were not viable options.

"I've been a youth worker for 40 years and the youth club is much loved by the kids in the area, so it's very, very disappointing," Ms Edwards said.

Merseyside Police said CCTV, witness and forensic inquiries were ongoing.