WORSHIPPERS have been forced to park their cars away from their church on a giant Southampton estate because they have become a prime target for vandals.

Cars have been bombarded by paint and egg missiles and now Lordshill Church members have called for policing to be stepped up in an area which has been plagued by vandalism.

As reported by the Daily Echo, parishioners were forced to hold their Sunday service at a nearby old people's home after yobs wrecked their church.

The vandals caused such major damage to the doors that the church had become a health and safety concern.

The Rev Ray Coates said that it could be three to four weeks before the church building would be back in action because they needed to fit heavy industrial type doors. Determined not to be beaten by the vandals, worshippers held their Sunday service at Manston Court.

Mr Coates said: "It is sad that we cannot use the church because of the vandalism. But we are not the only ones to suffer - it has happened to most of the traders around here."

He believes that it was a combination of social problems which had made the area a target for the wreckers.

He said: "There are kids hanging around who have been excluded from school and youngsters from broken families. There are not enough youth facilities."

Church elder and treasurer Clive Ashton, 45, had just got back from holiday when he got the shock news on his answerphone that the church could not be used because it had been attacked by vandals.

He said: "To do this sort of thing to any building is a pretty low thing to do."

Mrs Christine Angel, 48, who lives at Maybush and has been a member of the Lordshill Church for many years, said: "We cannot use our own private car park near the church because our cars have become targets.

"One member has had his car broken into three times and paint has also been thrown over a new car. Parked cars have also been pelted with eggs."

Church warden Tony Haden, aged 53, who lives in Lordshill, has called for security at the Lordshill Centre to be stepped up and more policing.