VANDALS have again struck at a church that was repeatedly attacked last summer.

Stained glass vestry windows at St Bede's Church in Morris Green have been smashed four times since the start of December.

After the latest wrecking spree 10 days ago, the church was left with a £1,100 bill to fit protective, reinforced plastic over windows.

Churchwarden Peter Stubbs appealed to residents to be on the lookout for trouble.

He said: "We had horrific problems in the summer but, with police help, things got better. Several youths were given accceptable behaviour contracts and stayed away."

Malcolm Bristow, parishioner and governor of nearby St Bede's primary school, said he feared the problems were returning.

He said: "St Bede's had perimeter walls systematically taken down, countless stained glass windows deliberately broken, and the vicarage property was damaged. Trees were damaged, the notice board defaced and broken and floodlighting deliberately and dangerously sabotaged.

"Older and more venerable people in the area are frightened to say or do anything as when and if they do, they receive threats.

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

He said: "We just hope that the vandals can be helped to contribute positively to the community and gain from that positivity themselves. At the same time, if they transgress the law they should be taken through the criminal justice system, punished and recompense the community they so wounded."

The original spate of problems included youths on a roof at the church, in an incident that was caught on camera by churchwarden Peter Stubbs.

The Rev Philip Brew, who is also vicar of St Thomas and St John, Lostock, said: "We have to strike a balance.

"The last thing we want to do is discourage people from coming to the church premises.

"We want to be welcoming, but we have to preserve the premises for everyone.

"These problems are caused by a small number of youngsters."

Last week vandals caused thousands of pounds worth of damage at the Bolton Methodist Mission, Victoria Hall, in Knowsley Street.