Vandals force church into CCTV plan

11:36am Friday 28th March 2008

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A CHURCH in Warminster has been forced to install CCTV after months of deterioration and vandalism.

The Christian Science Church in Five Ash Walk has applied to West Wiltshire District Council for planning permission to install CCTV at the front and rear of the listed building.

Crumbling church walls and three windows broken by vandals within the last year have prompted a decision by the CSC to make the application.

Keith Simpson, who is the chairman on the CSC executive body, said: "We are just trying to maintain as much as we can. It's much more of a deterrent as we are just out of the range of Warminster's CCTV system.

"It takes a long time for these things to come through. We have gradually been putting it in order."

The listed building, a former police station, dates back to the 1850s.

Two church windows have been broken at the back and one was broken at the front over the last year.

Mr Simpson, who also plays the church organ, said: "The walls which are all lovely Bath stone were beginning to crumble.

"In the front we also had to take up some slabs because it is rather tempting when someone is a little worse for wear."