Vandalism on rise at historic English sites amid cost of living crisis – report

Graffiti at medieval church and removal of York stone from bridge among incidents cited

From York stone gouged from a 200-year-old bridge to graffiti sprayed on a medieval chapel, there has been a rise in theft and vandalism at the nation’s most cherished historic sites, with the cost of living crisis expected to only worsen the problem.

A major new report on the “scale and extent of heritage and cultural property crime” is to be published on Wednesday by Historic England and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.