DONATIONS are flooding in to repair damage after louts attacked the Tyndale Monument.

More than £3,000 has been donated in just two weeks after vandals damaged the gate, door, floodlights and railings at the site in North Nibley.

To meet the cost of the repairs, North Nibley resident Carolyn Timbrell set up a crowd funding page with a target of £4,000, and £3,230 has been raised already.

She said: "We've had amazing support from the community.

"We originally set a lower fundraising target, which was smashed within 24 hours, which was brilliant. 

"However on further inspection, it was obvious that more money wiould be needed to repair the door frame and the railings.

"Plus the lights are several years old and it seems a sensible time to replace them with colour changing led lights, meaning that the tower can be lit for different charities."

The trustees decided to increase the target to £4,000, and the fundraiser is now just £770 short of the full amount.

Plans for the repairs are already in hand, with Roger Underdown who does the electrics for Nibley Festival looking at putting some different lights at the monument this week.

"Hopefully they will be just what we need and the monument will be lit up again in the near future," said Carolyn.

"We have also had a blacksmith on site to look at the work required to put right the damage to the door, frame and railings.

"Thank you to everyone for your support."

The tower was vandalised on Wednesday, June 17, when it is believed that a group removed a gate at the front of the landmark and used it as a ‘battering ram’ on the locked door at the base of the tower.

Two of the monument’s three floodlights were smashed and several railings were also broken during the incident.

The monument was built in honour of William Tyndale, a translator of the New Testament.

Constructed in 1866, it is 111 ft (34 m) tall, and is a Grade II listed building.

Prior to lockdown, it was open to the public 24 hours a day, every day, with visitors able to climb to the top.

Donations would be welcomed at bit.ly/31zmS0y