YOBS used grave markers to smash though a stained-glass window at a 14th century church before destroying a priceless organ and causing £15,000 worth of damage. 

St Margaret’s Church, in Bowers Gifford, has been targeted for the second time in the space of a month after teens broke in and ransacked the Grade II listed church on Sunday. 

According to church warden Nikki Dilorenzo, the vandals “smashed every glass vase they could find” as well as emptying cupboards, breaking chairs, and causing “immense damage”.

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Devastated - Nikki with the organ Devastated - Nikki with the organ (Image: Nikki Dilorenzo) Entry - The window vandals entered through Entry - The window vandals entered through (Image: Nikki Dilorenzo)


The yobs used a series of small grave markers to smash through a stained glass window to gain access, according to Nikki.

 Essex Police confirmed two teenage boys, one 15 and the other 16, have been arrested.
Nikki has been forced to make the decision to close the church for repairs and is planning to use a nearby school’s community room to hold services in the meantime. 

She said: “I didn’t expect this to happen again, the mess is devastating and they have ripped the windows up, smashed every glass vase and the inner belltower, smashed wooden crosses, thrown our hymn books, smashed our brass and windows and light bulbs. It is destroyed.

“The church will now be shut for repairs, we need to get professional cleaners in as the glass is everywhere and it is not safe to use, we have to use a school community room for services and we have a Christmas fayre that can’t be held.

“We are upset and angry, we just don’t understand why they would do this, it is a small community and we are just lost for words and disappointed.” 

Smashed - Another damaged window in the church Smashed - Another damaged window in the church (Image: Nikki Dilorenzo) Priceless - A central stained glass window, smashed by vandals Priceless - A central stained glass window, smashed by vandals (Image: Nikki Dilorenzo)


The church was initially targeted on October 29. 

Now, the church faces another £250 excess following this attack but has no idea how much damage has been done to “priceless” windows and the organ, which could “easily cost tens of thousands of pounds to fix”.

Nikki added: “Never in our wildest dream did we think this would happen again. We are looking at stained glass windows and the organ, these aren’t figures we can work out, these have been made specially for the church and are hundreds of years old. They are irreplaceable items.”

The last attack badly damaged the roof of the old building, dating back to the 14th century.