A local Islamic community have been amongst the first to contact a vicar after his church windows were vandalised.

The panes at Great Yarmouth Minster are thought to have been broken by two teenagers throwing stones at the Norfolk church and are expected to cost thousands to repair.

Church warden Paul Spychal told the BBC he was cleaning up broken glass when he saw another window hit and went outside to talk to two boys before they ran off.

Rev Canon Simon Ward, team rector for Great Yarmouth, said: "It is disheartening, and you wish everybody could be aware of how it hurts the people who love this place."

Though he said he had been contacted by several people locally upon hearing the news.

Church windows for a house of worship can total between 5-15 per cent of a building's overall cost, with stained glass even higher. If the windows are leaded, that can up the price further.

Rev Simon has estimated that the whole window would cost around £15,000 to repair, adding: "We've had to remove the whole window."

They're now looking to put up guards over the windows to stop further acts of vandalism.

Church warden Wendy Betts said the lectern balustrade and the choir stalls were also damaged in the attack as stones flew across the church.

The Church of England does not hold figures centrally for the cost of damage due to vandalism to its churches, though typical incidents are things like broken windows, damage to the church garden and graffiti to stone works which can require specialist treatment to remove.

Damage to historic stained glass windows can require artisan conservation work and can cost between £2000 and £30,000 per panel in some instances.