A CHURCH at the centre of a vandalism mystery is to be fitted with CCTV in a bid to catch criminals who have torn up prayer books and cycled inside the building.

Candlesticks and nativity figures have also been hidden, the safe has been tampered with and fire extinguishers let off in the aisles at Kirkby Stephen Parish Church.

Church warden Clifford Simpson said the past 12 months had seen a severe escalation in vandalism and he hoped CCTV would help put an end to it.

He said: “Things get pinched and stolen, pages torn out of prayer books. There are muddy bike marks in the porch, the Christmas lights were dragged off the tree. Even a doll of baby Jesus was stolen out of its crib. People have got no respect coming into a church and doing this.”

CCTV, at a cost of about £1,000, will be installed this week – the first time a church has taken such a move in the area.

A Carlisle Diocese spokesman said: “CCTV is installed in some churches in the west of the county and St Bees, but it is very rare and not common throughout the diocese.”

The move is also a last-ditch attempt to stop the damage before church leaders consider closing the building during the day.

Mr Simpson said: “It would be a shame to do that because people do enjoy stopping off and looking around. But it’s during the day and at the weekend when it’s happening.

“Churches that don’t open during the day and are locked up don’t have problems with vandalism like us.”

Last year £10,000 worth of copper was taken from the church roof – which combined with recent vandalism has put a serious dent in the church’s finances.

“It’s expensive fitting CCTV and we could do without it,” said Mr Simpson. “This has just been going on and on, and we’ve got to stamp it out because we just don’t have the money to keep going like we are. It’s insulting whatever, but it’s worse because it’s a church.”

Cumbria police have been informed of the incidents.

The Rev Sarah Lund, of Appleby’s Heart of Eden ministry, said they locked St Lawrence’s Parish Church overnight, but CCTV was not something being considered.

“Kirkby Stephen is the only church in the area we know that has installed CCTV and it is not something we are considering at this time, although we are putting in a new lighting system outside the church,” she said.

“We think it is really important to keep them open because people use churches at all times of day and enjoy the space and quiet they provide.”