Hull Minster window damaged by stone-throwing vandals

News imageAmanda White/BBC Hull Minster windowAmanda White/BBC
A total of 16 panes in the 18th Century window at Hull Minster have been damaged, staff say

A window at Hull Minster has been damaged by stone-throwing vandals.

The damage to 16 small panes of glass in the 18th Century window on the minster's West Front was discovered by staff on Tuesday morning.

Specialist repairs to the window, which was not decorative glass, were expected to cost around £10,000, the team at the minster said.

Alasdair Hutson, the minster's director of operations, said the attack on the window was "a real shame".

Mr Hutson said the cost of repairs would be mostly covered by the minster's insurance, but the main issue was the time it would take for the work to be carried out.

"It is not like going down to the glass shop and picking up a pane to replace it," he said.

"The 16 panes that we've counted are not all together, so there's probably close to £8,000 to £10,000 in damage here."

News imageAmanda White/BBC Alasdair Hutson, Hull MinsterAmanda White/BBC
Alasdair Hutson, from Hull Minster, said it would take time and skill to repair the broken panes of glass

Mr Hutson said he was sorry how the damage would affect people holding weddings and other events in the historic building over the next few months.

"There's going to be scaffolding at the front and we'd just got rid of all that after our amazing redevelopment work."

There had never been any reported vandalism to the minster, which dates back at least 700 years, since the Civil War in the 1640s when the original windows were damaged, Mr Hutson said.

"We've been quite fortunate over the years. I've no idea why they have done it.

"Kids will be kids, but they don't appreciate the knock-on effect these things have."

Mr Hutson added that the team at the minster was not appealing for donations to help with the cost of repairs.

"With everything going on in the world, there are bigger fish to fry," he said.

"We think it is important people know there has been vandalism, but we will get it sorted. It is just a real shame."

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