VANDALS have destroyed in a bench in the porch of a church in Lymm.

Church warden Jill Wasey discovered the damage on Saturday morning and police were informed.

She said: "It was such a shock and I was quite upset to see the porch so vandalised and the bench destroyed.

"It’s not just the act of criminal damage but also that someone has shown such disregard for my place of worship, it feels sacrilegious."

It is suspected that the damage took place on Friday evening or night with bottles, food cartons and other debris left in the porch.

Reverend Beverley Jameson, Rector at St Mary’s Lymm, said: “It was heartbreaking to see the bench deliberately smashed and the litter scattered in the porch.

"St Mary's is the parish church of Lymm, a building beloved my many in the village whether they believe in God or not.

"For those of us who worship at St Mary’s it is very distressing.

"Please if anyone spots anything suspicious at any time please ring the police.”

She said there have been several examples of food, bottles, and 'small packets of dubious chemical contents' being left in the porch over the past few months which have been reported to the PCSOs.

If anyone has any information regarding the damage to the bench or saw any suspicious behaviour in the porch on Friday call police on 101 quoting police incident number 233.

Rev Jameson is also urging people who see anyone in the porch in the evening or night to call 999.