Historic wall paintings at risk after Trotton church vandal attack

White powder covered every surface and parishioners still do not know whether the priceless 14th century wall paintings and the organ have been damaged in the attack.

Church warden Sasha Boam said: “Trotton is one of the top 50 most beautiful churches in England and historically it has incredible importance.”

She said parishioners were waiting for everything in the church to dry out before they could fully assess the damage.

“When it was reported to me I went down to the church and the whole place was a foggy haze with the air filled with powder to such an extent that it was difficult to breathe and it covered every surface with a fine powder like talcum powder.”

She said two fire extinguishers had been used to let off the powder: “One of which we still have not found and the vandals also let off a foam extinguisher.”

She said the powder was designed to take moisture out of the air: “So wherever it has landed it has made wet.”

It has affected all the hand stitched kneelers as well as pew and priest chair cushions.

“We have cleaned them as best we can and people have been taking them home in batches to dry them, but a week after the attack things are still not dry.”

“We rang round straight away to see if we could a working party to clean up and it was very heartening when so many people turned up with their hoovers - and not just church goers. We wiped down and washed everything including all the pews and the altar and the floors.

“Luckily it looks as though the hymn and prayer books were unaffected as they were tightly packed together.”

But said Sasha, parishioners were still waiting to find out if the irreplaceable wall paintings dated at 1365, have survived.

“They are quite high up but it was like a fog in the church and we are waiting to examine them.”

They will not be able to assess damage to the organ until that has also fully dried out.

Sasha said villagers had no idea who had attacked the church: “But the foot prints left in the powder were large and not those of children. There were also bicycle tracks in the powder.”

The police heritage crime unit has been informed.

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