Churchyard desecration 1945

The Rector condemned the use of St John’s churchyard as a playground by the “little hooligans of the parish.”
He said the churchyard wall was damaged earlier in the war, and there was nothing to stop the children and youths from getting in. It was a disgraceful thing that a churchyard should be treated in that way. Several tombstones had been broken, and he had received a number of complaints.
He had spoken to the superintendent of the police, who had promised to have the churchyard under occasional police supervision.
Mr Langhorne added that he had been round to tell all the schools and told this to the children.
He believed that the only way to protect the churchyard was to erect a stout fence, for which they would have to find £100.
This subject was discussed, and a suggestion was made that a barbed wire fence should be erected.
Mr Moorey remarked that there would be some difficulty in doing this as barbed wire was dangerous in a public position.
Mr Elwell suggested that relatives of those buried in the churchyard should be asked to subscribe to a fund for erecting a fence.

(Extract from Annual Parochial Church Meeting, 5th of April 1945)