Cathedral faces bill for 'thoughtless' graffiti

Staff at a city cathedral are facing a bill of thousands to remove graffiti sprayed on a 900-year-old wall.

Peterborough Cathedral said the graffiti, not believed to be racist, appeared on its Norman Arch on Monday.

A spokesperson described the incident as "frustrating" and a "thoughtless act of vandalism", adding that "the clean-up will run into thousands of pounds as it will require specialist work".

Cambridgeshire Police said it was investigating the incident and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.

Last year, the Norman cathedral warned it could not remain open seven days a week without introducing entrance fees, before launching a "Cathedral in Crisis" fundraising campaign.

Since then, £300,000 has been raised to help safeguard its future.

The funds have been used for essential repairs to parts of the Grade I listed building.

In April, the cathedral also opened a new café, called Cath, to help generate much-needed income.

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