POLICE last night said there "is no place in our society for damage to be caused at a place of worship" after a statue was targeted outside a Newry church.
The statue of Our Lady at St Brigid’s Church on Main Avenue was vandalised last week.
It is understood that the statue, which stands below the cross outside the church, was knocked over and damaged.
Helena Young, a member of the Meadow and Armagh Road Community Association, last night said she had been "contacted late on Thursday night by a local resident who had been walking their dog and noticed that the statue had been knocked down".
"On Friday morning I went up to St Brigid's and I was shocked to see that the statue of Our Lady had been badly damaged," she said.
Ms Young, who is also an Alliance Party activist in the area, said the statue is currently with a local stone mason who is carrying out the repairs and that she has had offers of donations towards the cost.
"I have been overwhelmed by the support from far and wide, people are angry, shocked and saddened at the desecration of the statue, the statues at this beautiful Calvary scene have stood for many years without any issues," she said.
"Once we know what the potential cost of the repair is we can look at the next step in getting this lovely statue of Our Lady back to the St Brigid's Calvary site."
Police have appealed for any witnesses to the damage, which is "believed to have happened sometime from 4th November- 5th November" to contact them.
"There is no place in our society for damage to be caused at a place of worship," the spokeswoman said.
