Reverend expresses forgiveness to young vandals who smashed Clipstone church windows

The Reverend Ian Webb said the vandalism was ‘upsetting’ for the congregation when they found broken glass at The All Saints church in Clipstone on three separate occasions throughout March.

Mr Webb said the church is a precious community building, and the vandalism felt like a “desecration of a sacred space”.

He added: “This kind of behaviour is not acceptable, but the reduction in funding for youth services has lead to young people not having much to do.

“The church was paid for and built by the mining community here in Clipstone, so it is a community building for everybody.”

However, Mr Webb and other members of the church forgave the boys, and gave them the chance to apologise.

He added: “I shook hands with the boys, and told them about our practice of sharing the peace.

“It was a powerful moment.

The treasurer of the church explained the financial burden of the vandalism on the community to the youngsters, and they agreed to help out at a future church event.

In a true act of community, local business owners Paul and Kelly Wright generously paid for new windows for the church, as well as perspex protectors to prevent any future damage.

CCTV has also been installed at the church to deter future incidents after the equipment was donated by a local business.

Mr Webb added that he would like to thank the community of Clipstone for their support, and added that it shows how important the church is.

“It’s for the community,” he added - “It’s their church as much as anybody else’s, all are welcome.”