A Colchester church has been vandalised again - just a day after youths were warned their attacks were endangering children.

The United Reformed Church in Plume Avenue, Prettygate, appeared in Tuesday's This Is Essex news upload following a spate of smashed windows.

One youngster using the church's playschool was cut by shards of broken glass.

But at 4pm that day the vandals struck again - this time hurling a brick through a large window in the creche.

Yesterday a church spokesman said: "We were just lucky that there were no young children in there at the time. If it had happened today there would have been 20 or 30 children in the room."

The spokesman, who did not wish to be identified for fear of reprisals, said there have been several meetings with police to discuss measures to stamp out the vandalism.

He said: "It is worrying but the police are taking it very seriously."

Church elders are also considering installing expensive security cameras and even fencing off the grassed area at the front of the church.

Until now, younger children from the area have been allowed to play football on the grass. The spokesman said: "We don't like a football going through a window, but that would be just an unfortunate accident.

"But there are senseless hooligans causing havoc. It almost seems like it is happening every day."

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