AN OLD church in Tetbury was vandalised, leaving town residents upset and angry.

The inside of the redundant St Saviour’s Church in Church Street was damaged with pages torn from the Bible and decorative carvings knocked off the top of a wooden screen between the pulpit and the altar by kneeler cushions.

The church was also left with flowers strewn over the floor, hymn numbers thrown around, the altar cloth pulled off, mobility wheelchairs interfered with and litter, such as Kinder wrappers, ‘Hula Hoops’ crisps and coke bottles, abandoned in the pews.

It is believed that children or teenagers were responsible for the damage as it occurred sometime during the school Easter holiday period.

The Churches Conservation Trust, which owns the church, has said that it would make plans to patch up the damage to the wooden screen.

Colin Shearer, director of West of the Churches Conservation Trust, commented: “Sadly, last week, damage was reported at St Saviour’s Church to the decorative timber elements - both crosses and ballflowers - on the top rail of the rood screen.

“A painstaking repair will be undertaken by The Churches Conservation Trust to piece the fragments back together as this screen was designed by important Victorian architects Pugin and Hardman.”

He added that the church would remain open to visitors due to the ‘open churches policy’.