A man has been charged with multiple offences, including religiously aggravated criminal damage, after two churches in Lancashire were defaced over the Easter weekend.
St James’ Church in Leyland and nearly 40 gravestones were vandalised on Good Friday with explicit messages, including the phrase “God is a lie”.
The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, condemned the attack, calling it a “desecration” and offered his prayers to the local congregation.
Lancashire Police launched an investigation following the incident and received further reports of criminal damage in the area. A 30-year-old man from Leyland, Joseph Williams, was arrested and is due to appear at Preston Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Williams has been charged with ten counts of criminal damage. These include two offences of religiously aggravated criminal damage, one relating to St James’ Church, and another connected to an incident at St Mary’s Church, where a window was smashed on Sunday, 27th April.
The remaining charges relate to seven counts of criminal damage to vehicles and one count of damage to property.
