I NOTE with great sadness that the Victoria Hall has been the target for mindless vandalism.

It is a Church which is in the community, for the community, and is the community.

I am sad to say that it seems to be becoming a trend for faceless vandals to desecrate graves and places of worship. My own place of worship, the Parish Church of St Bede's, Morris Green, has for some time now fallen victim to the same wanton destruction from senseless and destructive people, who, if the same were done to their property, would be, I would imagine, outraged.

St Bede's has had perimeter walls systematically taken down, countless protected stained glass windows deliberately broken, the vicarage damaged, youths urinating on the adjoining roof between the vicarage and church, trees damaged, the notice board defaced and broken and floodlighting outside deliberately and dangerously sabotaged.

Older and more vulnerable people in the area are frightened to say or do anything as, if they do, they receive threats from the individuals.

The church gardener was attacked and stones thrown at him as he was trying to mow the lawn earlier in the year, and his dog was attacked.

St Bede's Church Primary School also has been the target over a prolonged period of time. Security measures are now in place to protect the children's place of education.

We know the answer to 'WWJD' (What Would Jesus Do?) - forgiveness is the Christian way, but people who behave like this need to bear responsibility for what they do, and their parents to accept some responsibility and they should teach their children to become responsible citizens and to respect others, and in return be respected themselves.

This seems to be becoming a plague which is spreading; members of the community destroying the community in which they live.

We just hope and pray that they can be helped to contribute positively to the community and gain from that positiveness themselves, and at the same time, if they break the law, then they should be taken through the criminal justice system and punished, and recompense the community which they so wounded. They can still be forgiven, but must realise that, as others pay the cost of their thoughtlessness, so too must they pay the price.

Malcolm W Bristow

Bolton