A VICAR has said that he feels “very sorry” for vandals who wrote obscene graffiti on nearly 40 gravestones and on the exterior of St James’s, Leyland, in Lancashire, before the Easter services.

Discovering the graffiti on Good Friday at about 9 a.m., the Vicar of St James’s, Leyland, the Revd Marc Wolverson, told the Church Times that he was alerted by a member of his congregation to the “horrific blasphemous words” and “sexually explicit images with rude remarks on them”.

“A majority of the graffiti has been cleaned off the church,” Fr Wolverson said. “There is a bit of residual paint that needs to be removed, but you can no longer tell that it’s blasphemous, graphic, or explicit.”

DAVID GREGSONObscene graffiti was found on nearly 40 gravestones

Fr Wolverson said that the gravestones would require more attention, and that he was investigating possible professional cleaners with experience of cleaning heritage sites.

In a statement, Lancashire Constabulary said that they were treating the attack as a “hate crime” and would “do everything in [their] power to identify the offenders and take the appropriate action”.

Speaking about the perpetrators, Fr Wolverson said: “I pray that they come to realise that behaving in such a hurtful and harmful way towards the church and the community is not going to bring them any fulfilment.

“I’m not angry towards them, but I hope they are able to come to terms with whatever is motivating them to do this, and that they’re healed and realise the error of their ways.”

Fr Wolverson said that, in the past, he had dealt with “minor things that probably most churches might experience”, including “teenagers moving church benches around, or lighting campfires in the church yard”, but “nothing this serious”.

He has been overwhelmed by the community’s response, with offers of support, resources, encouragement, and money: “Everything we need to rectify this horrendous situation. As the Bible says, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall never overcome it.”

The Archbishop of York had written a message of support: “For this precious holy ground to be so appallingly desecrated is deeply shocking. Easter should be a time of celebration and joy.” He continued: “I hope it is a small comfort to know that, alongside many others, I am holding you and your church in my prayers this Easter.”

Det. Sgt Lee Jamieson, of South CID, said: “This is a disgraceful act of vandalism which shows a complete lack of respect and which has left the church and its parishioners understandably extremely upset, especially given the time of year.

“I would urge anyone in the community who has any information which could help us identify who has done this to come forward and speak to us.”