CHURCH officials are hoping yobs will finally keep away - by using a brightly lit red cross.

St James' Church, Winterton Road, Darwen, has been the target of vandals for years.

In recent weeks yobs have used a hammer to wreck stone pillars and six Victorian gravestones.

Church warden John Ludlow blamed teenagers for vandalism and graffiti that have plagued the church.

Now he's hoping to use a flood-lit cross to show the church is open because he says the wrecking sprees have given the impression the building is derelict.

Measures taken so far have included putting mesh over windows and doors.

Church officials have applied for planning permission to put a lit-up cross on the roof to reinforce an active presence.

And they are also looking into the cost of getting CCTV to catch those responsible.

Mr Ludlow said: "A church should be safe. They have no respect for anything, like with the gravestones.

"It's shocking and if there are any relatives left for these gravestones there will be nothing left for them to come and see.

"With all the things we've had to do, it looks abandoned when it's shut up. We want to put a cross on the top that would light up and show we here.

"I'm enquiring about fitting a camera, but it depends on the price. The police thought it was a good idea.

"The vandalism is ridiculous. It's hard to say what would stop it. Another church warden came up a couple of nights ago and saw some were around the back, but you don't want to approach them.

"He said they were about 15 or 16 year-olds."

He said the church vicar, the Rev John Faraday, was on holiday at the moment and unaware of the latest vandal attacks.