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Vandals have broken into an East Belfast church before hurling bibles around the building and spraying them with a fire extinguisher.

Flowers were also strewn across the floor, an organ damaged and a plaque remembering former parishioners battered by the extinguisher.

Damage to St Patrick’s Church of Ireland at Ballymacarrett , which happened sometime over the weekend, is expected to cost somewhere between £500 and £1,000 to repair.

Reverend John Cunningham, rector at the church, said it was “very disappointing” anyone would intentionally damage it.

He added: “I arrived at the church on Sunday morning, at around 10 o’clock, and saw a bowl containing flowers was on the flower and immediately thought there’s something not right here. When I went on in then, there were bibles, prayer books, all over the floor and they’d been sprayed with a fire extinguisher.

“Obviously there was damage to the window and the grills where they got in. There’s a plaque on the wall with the names of former parishioners and they took the fire extinguisher to it and there’s dents on it now.

"An organ was also damaged. It’s just disappointing. We’ve distributed 11,000 food parcels from here over the last few years, we’re part of this community so it’s sad that some people would do this.

“The damage could be £500 to £1,000 to repair, but this is not a parish with a lot of people with jobs. If there is one positive, though, it is that the last time there was any significant damage to the church it’s when the Luftwaffe were bombing the area in 1942.”

The church, which was built in 1827, before being replaced by a new-build in 1892, sits at the bottom of the Newtownards Road .

Rev Cunningham, who has been rector there for seven years, says he does not know why the church was targeted, but does not believe it was sectarian.

A PSNI spokesman said: “Police in East Belfast are currently investigating a burglary which occurred between 2100 on Friday 19th January and 1000 on Sunday 22nd January at the St Patrick’s Church on the Newtownards Road, Belfast. During this time unknown persons have entered the Church causing substantial damage throughout.

“Police are appealing for information from anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious during this time. If you believe that you may have information relevant to this investigation please phone 101 quoting reference number 459 21/01/18.”