8ft-high fence is our cross to bear

FENCE protection: the Rev Peter McEvitt at Holy Trinity Church in Shaw

Yobs force church to take action
A CHURCH has been forced to erect fencing to protect it from vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Neighbouring residents had opposed the installation of 8ft-high railings at Holy Trinity Church in Shaw, arguing that it is wrong to restrict the land to the public.

But a Church of England judge has given permission for the £4,000 railings to be erected to combat thefts and the ongoing problem of teenagers lurking around the secluded grounds.

Churchwardens estimated there had been £15,000 worth of losses from the church in the past few years, including an attempt to steal the lightning conductor.

Geoffrey Tattersall QC, chancellor of the diocese of Manchester, granted permission for the railings on the western and northern sides of the church, despite objections from neighbours whose gardens back on to the churchyard.

He said that groups of teenagers had congregated in the vicarage grounds on the north side, leaving behind evidence of drug-taking and alcohol consumption.

The Rev Peter McEvitt said: “Youths were causing as nuisance and we kept finding evidence of drink and other things.

“It has been an ongoing issue but we have been through an extensive consultation process and the judgement is that we may proceed in putting these railings up.”

A number of residents of Durban Close whose rear gardens adjoin the churchyard on the west side objected, claiming they had never witnessed damage or vandalism on that side of the church.

They argued that it was wrong to fence the land off from the decent people of Shaw, and claimed that the money would be better spent on other security solutions that would better protect the beautiful building for future generations.

However, the judge said that other areas of the churchyard would remain open to walkers, and ruled: “I am satisfied that the areas to the north and west of the church have in recent years become prone to theft and misuse by youths.

“Although it is in some ways regrettable that metal railings need to be erected and I can understand that the nearby residents would wish not to have such railings in the churchyard beyond their gardens, I am satisfied that the erection of such railings is a proportionate response to a problem which requires to be remedied.”