Satanists are thought to be responsible
for attacking a church graveyard, destroying crosses and leaving demonic
symbols in their wake.
Seven gravestones were desecrated at St John's Church in
Mansfield Road, Carrington. Five-pointed pentagrams - considered by Christians
to be signs of the devil - were painted at the entrances to the 160-year-old
church.
The vandals placed one of the stone crosses at the entrance
to the church upside down, another satanic symbol.
Police, who have appealed for help from the public, said
the damage was carried out on Friday evening or in the early hours of Saturday.
At yesterday's service, holy water was sprinkled at the
entrances of the church and prayers were said to "re-affirm the church as
a place of light".
The attack follows the destruction of more than 50 graves
and memorials at the Northern Graveyard in Bulwell on Easter Sunday. Police
have ruled out a link.
The vicar of St John's, the Rev Jonathan MacGillivray,
said: "My initial reaction was that it had been a mindless act of
vandalism.
"But I later realised they had only gone for the cross
tombstones.
There was also a cross upside down on the front steps and
there were pentagrams on the walls, which are satanic symbols.
"I'm concerned that it was carried out by people who
have become caught up in something they don't understand, something that's not
about light. The special prayers were to reaffirm the church as a place of
light.
"We've never had anything like this happen
before."
The gravestones did not belong to anyone who has died
recently.
Wayne Bowring, 42, who has worshipped at the church for 12
years, said: "We've always had some vandalism and a little bit of
graffiti.
But when it comes to satanic things and the vandalism of
someone's grave it goes way too far.
"People are upset and angry.''
Brickwork on the outside of the church also suffered some
damage from a plastic wheelie-bin which was set alight.
PC Darren Wood, of the city response unit at Radford Road
police station, said he did not weant to "speculate too much" about
the meaning of the pentagram graffiti.
He said the cross left upside down at the entrance to the
church had been moved ten or 15 metres and had spaghetti and tomato sauce
tipped over it.
"It is fortunate that the graveyard hasn't had new
graves since about 1960, but it is still a very emotive issue. From the
ferocity of the attack, it doesn't look like it was children.''