A REWARD of £1000 has been offered for information to help to catch vandals who damaged York Minster at the end of July.

The vandals removed an access door and used a ladder to climb on to scaffolding around the north-west tower, before throwing objects that are believed to have knocked a gargoyle from the fabric.

North Yorkshire PolicePolice CCTV images of St George’s car park

Soon after, two men were recorded on CCTV, apparently videoing the gargoyle on the ground; they then left the scene by climbing over a locked fence. North Yorkshire Police believe that the footage may have been shared online, and wish to hear from anyone who has seen it. They said that the pair, who are both white and believed to be of a similar age, could “help establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident”, which happened shortly before 5 a.m. on 31 July.

In the recording, one of the men can be seen wearing a black tracksuit with a blue baseball cap, and black trainers with white soles. The other has a dark, hooded top, black tracksuit bottoms, and black trainers with white socks. They both appear to be young men in their late teens or early twenties.

A spokesman added: “A supporter of York Minster has also now offered a significant financial reward for anyone who can provide information which leads to the successful conviction of the individuals responsible for this vandalism.”

Minster officials are still waiting to hear the cost of repairs from insurance assessors.