A CHURCH is set to install security cameras and lighting after a spate of attacks by vandals.

Windows at Holy Trinity Church, in Gisburn Road, Barnoldswick, were smashed during the latest attack - the fifth in 18 months.

Church warden Mark Williams said it looked like the windows had been smashed by youths playing football on the church grounds, but it comes just weeks after vandals deliberately broke windows with a stick.

The ‘mindless vandalism’ has led to the church having to fork out around £150 per broken window.

Mr Williams said: “We get a lot of incidents with youngsters hanging out in the gardens at the back and this time it looks like the windows have been smashed by footballs.

“It has cost us over £400 to repair and this is a fairly regular occurrence.

“Earlier this year we had several windows broken deliberately. That was discovered on the morning of a christening.

“This is a church for the whole community, if we have a christening and end up with photos with boarded-up windows in the background then it ruins it for a lot of people.”

In response to the latest incident the church is looking to beef-up security.

“Hopefully the lighting and cameras will act as a deterrent,” said Mr Williams.

“We can’t keep paying out for repairs so we had to do something.

“It’s not usually too bad in the summer because of the lighter nights, but we should have the security installed for winter.

“It’s just mindless vandalism that is costing the church money at the moment.”