Vandals cause 'severe damage' to St Helens' oldest building

Built in the late 1600s, the town centre building on George Street is recorded as the oldest in St Helens and has been in continual Quaker ownership since 1679.

When opening up the building on Sunday morning (February 13), Mike Bartram, Clerk to the Meeting of St Helens Quakers, found the premises "littered with large rocks and concrete".

As well as exterior damage to the Grade 2 listed building, he also found that the building's historic windows had been smashed.

While still in use of St Helens Quakers, the building is also used as a hub by a host of local community groups.

The lattice windows of the Meeting House were put through over the weekend

Mike, 76, said: "Why damage the oldest building in St Helens?".

"Does someone hate the Quakers enough to want to do such damage to a building that is one of the most precious in the town?".

Mike said that he believes those responsible were trespassing in the derelict Raven pub next door to the Meeting House on Saturday night, before vandalising the Quaker building.

The incident has been reported to the police and trustees are currently working on repairing the windows - something which will "not be easy" due to their age.

Rocks and stones left behind by the vandals

Mike added: "The building is the oldest still in use in St Helens and I think a lot of people have an affection for it.

"We are doing our best to look after it but it looks like people smashed our windows with anything they could get."