Northern Ireland

Grafitti attack on Co Antrim church branded 'disappointing'

A graffiti attack on the church hall at St Aidan's Church of Ireland Church on the Belfast Road in Glenavy in a Co Antrim church has been described as "disappointing"
A graffiti attack on the church hall at St Aidan's Church of Ireland Church on the Belfast Road in Glenavy in a Co Antrim church has been described as "disappointing" A graffiti attack on the church hall at St Aidan's Church of Ireland Church on the Belfast Road in Glenavy in a Co Antrim church has been described as "disappointing"

A graffiti attack on a Co Antrim church has been described as "disappointing".

The church hall at St Aidan's Church of Ireland on the Belfast Road in Glenavy was targeted overnight with `Republicans Against Drugs' and `RAD' dubbed on the wall and also on the fence of the property.

The incident was caught on CCTV which has now been passed to the police.

Rev Linda Cronin, who only took over at St Aidan's Church in February after moving from Telford in Shropshire, said she was "disappointed" by what had happened.

"It is my first negative experience," she said.

"The community are pulling together to put it right and it is really encouraging. Regardless of political persuasion, we are working together".

Alliance councillor David Honeyford said the "graffiti has no place in our society, particularly on the walls of a church hall".

"I feel absolutely gutted for our local Church of Ireland family to have their hall abused by local thugs, which I utterly condemn," he said.

"The Rev Linda Cronin has worked tirelessly and been a key member of local team throughout this pandemic, working for everyone in Glenavy and the surrounding area and as a community we thank her and the parish for their help.

"I have spoken to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and asked them to remove the graffiti as soon as possible, and I urge anyone with information on this incident to contact police with it immediately".

Sinn Féin councillor Gary McCleave said the graffiti attack on St Aidan's Church Hall in Glenavy was "wrong and I condemn it.

"There is no place for this type of activity in our society," he said.

"Anyone with information on this attack should bring it forward to the PSNI".