POLICE are hunting vandals who twice smashed intricately-engraved windows at St Peter's Church in Chippenham.

The culprits first struck at the church in Lords Mead on May 29 and are believed to have used stones to crack a window in the side chapel.

Then last Thursday morning, curate Rosie Lunn arrived to find that the same window had been smashed and another window was cracked, leaving broken glass littering the church floor.

"It's terrible that someone would do this to a church once, let alone twice," said Mrs Lunn.

"We have never had anything like this happen before. These are large panes of intricately etched clear glass that were installed by a craftsman when the church was built in 1968."

The broken panes are valued at around £1,000 each.

Mrs Lunn said: "We will now have to find a craftsman who can replace the panes. But it won't be easy.

"They are so beautifully-etched, that it may be some time before we track down someone who can do the work. It will also cost a great deal of money."

WPC Mandy Goodwin, of Chippenham Police, is hoping that witnesses will come forward and help track down the vandals.

"This is a very thoughtless crime," she said.

"But we are confident that someone may have seen the culprits messing around by the side of the church in the last couple of weeks."

Contact WPC Goodwin on (01249) 654455.