Brit teen vandals fess up to mess

NORTH TAWTON, England, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The facade of a British church featured in a popular TV series and many of the churchyard's gravestones were vandalized by a trio of teenagers, police say.

The 750-year-old St. Peter's church in Devon, seen every week in the show "Jam and Jerusalem," was desecrated by two girls and a boy who spray-painted dozens of smiley faces and lewd comments on walls, memorials and gravestones, officials told the Daily Mail.

The vandals were to appear in court Wednesday to face charges of criminal damage, but the charges were withdrawn after the teenagers agreed to apologize to the vicar of church and the congregation, and clean up the damage, the British newspaper reported Friday.

The Rev. Brian Ardill, rector of St. Peter's church, said the teenagers were very sorry for what they did. "I had some very nice letters, which were very contrite and apologetic," he said.

Ardill said it took the vandals about six hours to scrub the granite clean. "Hot water and a wire brush has worked really well and the walls have come up beautifully," he added.