Repeated Vandalism at Hastings Church

Case information
Incident date
Country
United Kingdom
Place
Hastings
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Vandalism of Church
Place of Incident
  • Church
Bias Indicators
  • Lack of Other Motive
  • Pattern or Frequency of Attacks
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated

Police investigated repeated deliberate damage to lighting bollards in the grounds of St John the Evangelist Church in Hollington.

Police investigated an incident of vandalism at St John the Evangelist Church, where three illuminated bollards were deliberately damaged at around 7:45pm on 13 February. CCTV footage showed three young males entering the churchyard and causing the damage.

Officers confirmed that the church had been targeted in a similar way on a previous occasion, and the repeated vandalism raised concerns due to the cost of replacing the bollards. A Hastings Police spokesperson said the damage was “deliberately” inflicted and described the bollards as “expensive to replace.”

Sources