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Vandals have smashed "precious and beautiful" church windows estimated to cost in excess of £30,000 to repair.

Culprits broke through protective meshing and smashed six glass panes at Llanllwchaiarn church, near Newtown, Powys.

"It's cruel," said Revd Canon Nia Wyn Morris, rector of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn.

"A lot of people in this town will be hurt because they have love for this church."

The rector believes a bar from a nearby grave was used to cause the damage on Wednesday night.

"Whoever has done this has used so much force that they broke through the mesh, and have damaged the precious and beautiful coloured windows," she said.

"A small part of a window was broken after a strimmer caught a small stone - that cost around £1,000.

"Looking at the present damage I think it could be around £30,000, perhaps more.

"It wouldn't surprise me, as the work was unique, that we would need experts to do it, and each piece of glass will be quite expensive."