'Disgusting' vandals take pleasure in smashing up graves at St Mary's Church, Benfleet

Multiple gravestones have been destroyed in the graveyard of St Mary’s Church, Benfleet High Street.

The vandalism is believed to have taken place overnight on Monday, and was discovered by dog walker Dana Williams, 53, who lives near the church.

She believes between ten and 15 graves have been damaged.

She said: “I always walk my dogs through the church yard, so I see the graves every day.

“I noticed on one of the older ones, which has four blocks on each corner, one of the blocks had been knocked off and was lying on the grass.

“It looked like someone had used a wooden plank to knock them down.

“Then it was a case of the more I looked the more I saw.

“The newer graves which are made of granite have been pushed over.

“Whoever did it must have been really strong, they aren’t easy to move and are very heavy.”

Mrs Williams said she has walked through the graveyard, owned by The Diocese of Chelmsford, every day for years, but has never seen anything like this amount of damage.

She added: “I think it’s absolutely disgusting what they’ve done, it wholly disrespectful to all of these people who have been laid to rest.

“To do anything like that on that level, when these are just peacefully standing there and some idiots come along and do this.

“It’s really not nice.”

The Rev Leslie Drake, vicar of St Mary’s Church, said he would be reporting the vandalism to Castle Point Council and thanked Mrs Williams for alerting the church to the damage.

He said: “In the graveyard a neighbour noticed while walking her dog Tuesday morning some graves had been vandalised.

“Tombstones were knocked over and cast crosses broken.

“She and members of her family heard ‘something’, described as a ‘crash’, around 8pm.

“Mrs Williams phoned me about 3pm on Tuesday, so I took photos and put a report into police.

“If it wasn’t for diligent residents like Mrs Williams informing us of these things, it could have gone unnoticed for some time.

“Tuesday was my day off, so I wasn’t at the church.

“I’m not sure what there is we can do about it, but we need to report these things to the council.

“A lot of the graves are damaged because they’re old, but some serious work has been done here.”

The incident has been reported to Essex Police who will be investigating.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or alternatively Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.