A WEST Wiltshire church could become the first in the region to install CCTV cameras after vandals caused more than £5,000 worth of damage.

About 10 stones were thrown through two stained glass windows at St John's Church, Boreham Road, Warminster, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

This is the second time the church has been targeted in five years and the Rev Dennis Brett said security measures would have to be tightened up.

"It has made me feel very sad," he said.

"We put grills on the lower windows when it happened five years ago but some of these were ripped away from the walls and it looked like somebody was trying their best to get into the church.

"The west window suffered the most damage. It is 140 years old and will cost many thousands of pounds to repair.

"There was no grill on it because we never thought it was vulnerable as it is 60 to 70 ft up.It seems churches are soft targets and we may have to consider putting in CCTV cameras, extra staff and external lighting."

The latest damage is covered by insurance but it will take hours of pain-staking work to restore the windows.

Mr Brett said he was upset with the damage to the west window, which depicts the life of St John the evangelist, because it was one of his favourites.

"The damage was mind-less," he added.

"Churches need to be open to the public, especially at the moment because it is a place of peace and prayer but it is difficult to know whether it is safe to leave them open."

Police are urging any-one with information about the vandalism to contact them.

Churches across the county are increasingly coming under attack from vandals and thieves, including St Peter's Church in Codford near Warminster where a 150-year-old stained glass window was smashed two years ago. Gravestones in St Andrew's churchyard, Chippenham, have been damaged, a coin box from Holy Trinity Church in Bradford on Avon was stolen and Sutton Veny Parish Council are look-ing at ways to prevent vandalism at St Leonard's Old Church.

Archdeacon of Wiltshire, the Ven Barney Hopkinson, said: "Today, sadly, our churches suffer from an increase in both vandalism and theft.

"In some places the only answer is a locked door, but as far as possible we try to keep the church open for those who want to visit or pray."

Anyone with infor-mation can contact War-minster police on (01985) 847000.