A HATE campaign is being waged against frightened churchgoers in Coventry.
Worshippers at a church in Stoke are living in fear following a series of attacks over the past two months.
The abuse at the House of Empowerment International Ministry in Camden Street includes:
* People being pelted with stones as they arrive for Sunday services.
* The church's walls and roof being daubed with graffiti.
* Glue has been put in the padlock on the gates to stop people getting in.
Abusive text messages are also regularly sent to the church's mobile phone number, which is written on a board outside the building.
People say their cars, and the church minibus, have been scratched with keys.
They also say their services are disrupted by people bursting in or banging on the windows.
The latest attack happened on Tuesday night when vandals daubed graffiti on all the walls of the church.
Churchgoers believe most of the attacks are racially-motivated.
Senior pastor of the church, Kwame Twum-Boateng - born and bred in Ghana - said some people disliked the church because of the noise from its music and singing.
He said: "This building has been here since 1953. Churches should have their liberty to worship God the way they want to so if they keep sending us messages to keep quiet it's like they're trying to harass our religious freedom. We don't know what they're going to do next.
"The worshippers feel disgusted, like they're being looked down upon. They feel victimised and they feel threatened and harassed - it's ruining our worship."
http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=churchgoers-stoned-by-yobs&method=full&objectid=19803467&siteid=50003-name_page.html
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