THIEVES have destroyed a church's Christmas lights display.

The lights were ripped from a tree outside the porch of St Augustine's Church in Tonge Moor hours after the display had been switched on.

Father Tony Davies said: "The lights had been donated by our parishioners. We switched them on on Thursday evening but I got a call yesterday morning to tell me they had been ripped from the tree.

"All we were trying to do was bring some Christmas cheer to the community. Whoever is responsible for doing this has no respect for other peoples property or for the sentiments of Christmas and its very sad and disappointing that there are people around in this day and age who are willing to destroy what other people have done."