Vandals have ripped down a Christian Aid banner outside a church in an upmarket Inverness street, leaving the minister both “saddened and disappointed”.
Police have been informed of the incident which took place in the garden at St Stephen’s Church on Southside Road, at some point overnight from Friday into Saturday.
The banner was erected last week to advertise a coffee morning fundraiser to mark the start of Christian Aid week, which involves door to door collections to help some of the poorest people around the world.
Money raised locally will go to various partner organisations around the world, one of which involves a project to build earth plinths to raise thousands of homes flooded as a result of rising sea levels in the Bangladeshi delta, where about five million people live.
Yesterday the Rev Peter Nimmo, minister for the Old High St Stephen’s congregation, said: “Christian Aid is one of the biggest four or five international development charities and is linked to the Disasters Emergency Committee and has been going for over 50 years. It’s the main international aid and development branch of British charities and helps people without regard to nationality or religion.
“I used to be a minister in the East end of Glasgow, but this kind of thing is pretty much unheard of along Southside Road. We did not have high winds that night and so it was pretty clear to everybody that this was deliberate.
“People are really shocked that something like this has happened, particularly as what we are doing is raising money for the poorest people in the world. Why would someone do this? We are saddened and disappointed and upset.”
The banner, made by church volunteers, was snapped from two thick wooden posts which were hauled down by the vandals.
Two members of the congregation made the discovery on Saturday morning and temporary poles have been erected to hold up the banner.
Rev Nimmo said that the congregation has been using the space to advertise for various other events since the start of the year.
A laminated church noticeboard was also destroyed by the vandals.
Rev Nimmo added: “If anyone knows who has done this or what has happened, they should let the police know. It’s surprising this has happened here and both upsetting and disappointing.”
