TWO teenagers who vandalised a church with graffiti have apologised to the congregation.

The girls, aged 14 and 15, attended St Peter's Church in North Tawton, Devon, where they had scrubbed off the smiley faces and lewd slogans they had painted on the walls of the building, which was featured in Dawn French's TV show Jam and Jerusalem.

Charges against them were dropped when Exeter Youth Court was told they admitted responsibility.

Instead, police gave them a final warning, on the understanding that they come face-to-face with the congregation they had upset.

The Rev Dr Brian Ardill said the two girls had been welcomed by churchgoers after they gave a heartfelt apology. He said they had previously written remorseful letters and their parents had visited him to say sorry.

The girls had asked for forgiveness and had been beaten up by fellow students on a school bus because of their actions, he revealed.

But he said they got a far warmer response at the church: "People showed a sense of welcoming. We all want to draw a line under the incident now.

"They have a police warning, and that may be the best thing, because it stops them from getting a criminal record, and means they can carry on with their lives, hopefully without doing anything as silly as this again."