Stone worth £20k stolen from 19th Century church

Stones stolen from a 19th Century churchyard are expected to cost more than £20,000 to repair.

More than 50 York sandstones are reported to have been taken from Grade II listed St George’s Church in Tyldesley, Wigan, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Councillor James Fish, who has since set up a fundraising campaign to replace the stones, said the “act of vandalism” had come as the church was celebrating its 200th anniversary.

St George’s said it was “grateful” for the support of volunteers to “clear up the mess left behind”.

“One morning a man posted on social media about the incident so I got up and headed to the church straight away,” councillor Fish told BBC Radio Manchester.

He said thanks to CCTV cameras stationed at local businesses they had managed to identify the vehicle.

But regardless of whether the people behind the theft were caught, the church would have a hefty price to pay.

Councillor Fish said: “The retail value of these stones each cost between £120-£150 depending on the size of the stone.

“I go to a coffee morning every week in the town and the only conversations we had were about how gutted everyone was by what happened.

“But I know the town will come together to support the church going forward.”

The church’s warden Iain Hodcroft said the damage to the building’s “beautiful” yard had been “considerable”.

“We very much regret the actions of those who have stolen much of the York stones.

“We are grateful for the support of neighbours, local businesses and local councillor James Fish, along with the many volunteers from the Tyldesley community who have come together to help us.”