A wooden cross attached to the church’s front entrance was set ablaze and completely destroyed. Because the church and its religious symbols appear to have been directly targeted, the case is being investigated as a hate crime. Extra patrols are being conducted in the area.
Officers are asking for the public’s assistance in determining the full scope of the incident. We are especially looking for information about any suspicious activity near the church. Anyone with CCTV images, dash cam footage, or doorbell camera footage of anyone acting suspiciously in the Church Street area is asked to contact police.
Anyone with information that may help the investigation should contact [email protected]. You can also call 101 and ask to speak with PC Fiona Wilding.
If you want to remain anonymous, you can call Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111. Please reference North Yorkshire Police case number 12220109896.