Work completed on new building at St Mary's Church, Long Sutton, after arson attack

Work has been completed on a new outbuilding at St Mary's Church, Long Sutton, after arsonists destroyed the previous building.

The original outbuilding. off Market Place, was set alight in June 2018 when plants and equipment used for the town’s popular flower festival were lost.

At the time, police described the crime as "reckless and dangerous".

It resulted in the single-storey brick building, some 20ft long and 8ft wide, having to be written off as unstable and demolished.

Priest-in-charge of St Mary's, Father Jonathan Sibley, expressed his relief that the new building had been completed.

Mr Sibley said: "We’re all very pleased and grateful it’s been completed as the old building was quite a focal part of the community.

"It’s very much a relief and it means we can actually concentrate on our church redevelopment program which will help celebrate our 850th anniversary next year.

"At the time it was a great loss to the community and church which is why it had to be rebuilt."

The original building was constructed in around 1900 from bricks used from an old jail which was opposite the church.

Crowland building and carpentry firm A.M. Strickland did the work on the replacement which took five weeks and new features at the outbuilding include solar panels for lighting.

Mr Sibley said: "There was a lot of concern for the security of it as it was a dangerous building and there was also concern at the time of the fire about a nearby electricity sub-station.

"The flower festival was in jeopardy this year because of the loss of materials, but it successfully went ahead in April and May."

The next fund-raising event will be staged at the church on Saturday, September 7 at 7pm, with Pinchbeck-based opera singer Jeff Woods, known also as “Pavanotti”, leading a summer serenade.

Tickets priced £5 are available from The Market House, Market Street, Long Sutton, on 01406 366767.

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