Vandalism at Burneside’s St Oswald’s Church

Case information
Incident date
Country
United Kingdom
Place
Burneside
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
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
  • Victim/Witness Perception
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated
Image credit: Wikipedia. By Ryan Postlethwaite at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Vandalism at St Oswald’s Church in Burneside, Kendal left facilities damaged, hymn books scattered, and a lychgate broken.

St Oswald’s Church in Burneside, Kendal, was vandalised on September 26 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., when individuals burst a water balloon inside, flooded the toilet floor, and scattered hymn books and kneeling mats. One of the lychgates was also damaged, with the wood split and requiring repair. The church, which also hosts a public toilet, and a Post Office during workday morning hours, was left in disarray, raising concerns about its accessibility and security. Volunteers speaking on behalf of the church stated, “Please help us to look after our beautiful church.”

Sources