Thursday 4 October 2007

LONDON: Vandals smash chapel's stained glass windows


Vandals smash chapel's stained glass windows

LOUTS smashed all but one of the stained glass windows in a graveyard's chapel.

Groundskeepers arrived at work on Thursday to find the damage done to the building in the chapel of London Road Cemetery.

The yobs first tried to get into the Mitcham building on Wednesday evening by kicking through a window.

But when their efforts came to nothing they resorted to smashing 25 of the building's 5ft-high, stained glass windows with a rock.

Manager Mark Robinson told The Post:"It's just vandalism. It's such a shame these people felt they had to do this.

"We know they were trying to get in. It's just like a church inside.There's an electric organ and a computer they might have been after."

The cemetery is locked from 8pm and he said the raiders must have climbed a fence to get in. The windows are now boarded up and Mr

Robinson said mourners at the four funerals scheduled for today and tomorrow have been informed but none have yet had cancelled the services. Drug users have recently been stealing flowers from the graves in the cemetery to sell on but action by the local safer neighbourhood team has prevented this.

Police are investigating and anyone with information should call the Merton police crime desk on 020 8649 3191 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200southlondonheadlines/tm_headline=vandals-smashh-chapel-s-stained-glass-windows&method=full&objectid=19891027&siteid=50100-name_page.html

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