A NORTH Yorkshire cathedral is drafting in extra staff to stamp out the problem of young hooligans disrupting Sunday services.

The move comes just a few months after a series of vandal attacks on Ripon Cathedral, which ran up repair bills of £20,000.

There have been attacks on stained glass windows at the cathedral - a place of worship for more than 1,300 years - and bursar Nigel Clay blames a hard core of anti-social vandals who seem hell-bent on causing disruption to services.

In the latest vandal attacks windows in the cathedral offices were broken by stone-throwing youths in broad daylight, following an overnight attack the night before.

Mr Clay said: "People are constantly asking why this is happening. Ripon is not an inner city suburb. People don't lock themselves in their homes at 6pm. But in Ripon young people are prepared to go into the House of God and enjoy disrupting services."

Earlier this year a major service to mark the wartime Home Front was disrupted by invading hooligans and some churchgoers en-route to services have come under attack or been intimidated.

North Yorkshire Police are investigating. Mr Clay said the cathedral authorities regarded the latest incidents as very serious.

Cathedral staff are appealing for information from the public in a bid to stamp out the anti-social behaviour which has included spraying paint over walls of the cathedral's historic crypt.

Efforts to establish a Cathedral Watch - on the lines of a neighbourhood watch - have been intensified following the latest incidents.