A CHURCH is being targeted by late-night boozers and thieves.
Yobs have been gathering at St Mary the Virgin Parish of Mold and leaving the old church graveyard strewn with empty bottles, cans and rubbish.
Mold Councillor Joyce Jones said she was disgusted to attend a recent funeral at the church on Church Lane and see the remnants from the night before.
“There were empty vodka bottles, plastic bags and rubbish,” she said.
“They must be going there to binge drink. It’s consecrated ground – they should have some respect. You just don’t do that in the grounds of a church.”
The church wardens say they regularly have to pick up empty drinks bottles and cans scattered around the churchyard, particularly on a Sunday morning.
Warden Geoff Griffiths said: “This is something that we do have to clean up on a regular basis. I’m there at 7.20am on a Sunday morning and I go round and pick these things up. Last Sunday I saw a couple of yobbos sitting on the steps, but you have to be so careful with how you approach these people now.”
Alcohol exclusion zones have been set up at several hot-spots across Mold including Bailey Hill, the church and Daniel Owen Square.
Cllr Jones said she would like to see extra police patrols in the area.
She added: “They have tried to stop drinking in the street with the no-drinking zones, but it’s still going on because they are leaving the evidence behind. Something has to be done.”
The church has also been targeted by thieves.
The culprits stripped thousands of pounds worth of lead off the roof during the summer, but the church was targeted again earlier this month.
Mr Griffiths added: “We had been locking the gates, but they obviously parked up their vehicle and carted the stuff through the old churchyard.
“It will cost thousands of pounds to replace so we’ll have to replace it with plastic.
We are still in negotiations with the insurance company about it.”
A spokesman for North Wales Police said: “We are aware of the issue and regularly patrol the area. We will take and continue to take action against anyone found committing an offence. Anyone who witnesses anti-social behaviour is urged to contact North Wales Police on 101.”