VANDALS have ripped off chunks of 18th century marble gravestones in a Colchester town centre churchyard.

Local historian Jess Jephcott said he found gravestone pieces alongside piles of rubbish left strewn across St Martin’s Churchyard, in West Stockwell Street, on Sunday afternoon.

Many of the stones there commemorate those who founded Colchester’s Dutch Quarter in the 17th and 18th centuries.

A major feature of the churchyard, the headstone commemorating Jacob Ringer, has been left intact, but 18th century memorials to Flemish weavers have been vandalised.

Mr Jephcott said: “Somebody has been in there and picked huge great bits of some 18th century tombstones and thrown some rubbish about.”

While the rubbish had been cleared away by yesterday afternoon, repairing the gravestones will be a more difficult task.

“To smash stuff like this – it’s a total lack of respect,” Mr Jephcott added. “It’s so sad to see.

“The worst bit is the destruction of the solid marble tombstones.

“These are historic monuments.

“This is the Dutch Quarter churchyard and it’s one of the most significant churchyards in Colchester.”

Bob Penny, Colchester Council’s parks and recreation manager, confirmed St Martin’s was one of the closed churchyards the council manages. He said the council was investigating.