The owners of a business in a city church feel under siege and desperate for help after a succession of violent and threatening flashpoints.

Sam and Lynne Avery, 46 and 44, are the owners of The Drug Store and co-founders with Ash Lever of Community East, a skatepark inside St Peter Parmentergate Church in King Street.

Police had to be called to the church on Tuesday afternoon though after the disgusting discovery of faeces alongside criminal damage.

The couple called police at around 1.30pm after finding "windows were broken, litter was left and human excrement was smeared" across the building's letterbox.

Norwich Evening News: St Peter Parmentergate Church is the home of Community EastSt Peter Parmentergate Church is the home of Community East (Image: Newsquest)

"I'll have been here for two years in April," said Sam.

"In that time I have been assaulted by three people at once in front of my daughter, who was six at the time, I witnessed a really brutal fight in the churchyard following a Norwich match, I've had windows smashed, poo in the letterbox, the list goes on.

"We need CCTV desperately to identify the people involved."

Putting cameras up in the area has proven difficult though. 

As the medieval church is grade I listed, there are restrictions, and the company is not allowed to attach anything to the building that involves running cables and drilling holes.

Norwich Evening News: A skatepark and clothing shop can be found inside the churchA skatepark and clothing shop can be found inside the church (Image: Denise Bradley)

There is one streetlight by the entrance to the churchyard, but there are no other lights and the back is shrouded in trees.

Lynne said Norfolk Churches Trust has reached out to the council, as the thoroughfare through the churchyard is public, but that they are still awaiting a response. 

"All churchyards are a magnet for this sort of crime and it is worse for those with public thoroughfares like this one," said Sam.

"Our problems are not unique."

Norwich Evening News: Drug Store opened its shop in St Peter Parmentergate Church in April 2022Drug Store opened its shop in St Peter Parmentergate Church in April 2022 (Image: Newsquest)

As tenants of the property, which is maintained by Norfolk Churches Trust, the team behind the skatepark and shop won't pay for the damage sustained at the weekend.

"This doesn't cost us a single penny," said Sam.

"Some poor bloke from the council has had to clean up the letterbox.

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"Norfolk Churches Trust will have to pay for a specialist to come and fix these broken windows."

Norwich Evening News: Some of the windows were smashed the same weekend as the poo was smeared across the letterboxSome of the windows were smashed the same weekend as the poo was smeared across the letterbox (Image: Newsquest)

However, for Community East, a non-profit charitable organisation for children and young people, safety is key to keeping people coming through the door and supporting the charity. 

"We want this to be a safe space for kids who need it," said Lynne.

Sam added: "Our team set up a charitable organisation to do something good for the kids in the community and our own daughter doesn't want to come here.

"Innocent kids are being traumatised."

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Norwich City Council was approached for comment.

On the scene

When our reporter Emily Goodwin went along to St Peter Parmentergate Church she witnessed a fresh bout of trouble while speaking to Mr Avery.

I experienced Sam's struggle firsthand when I arrived to interview him at the church. 

For the customers, there is one entrance and exit - up a set of stairs which are often blocked by people sitting on them.

Norwich Evening News: Sam Avery at St Peter Parmentergate ChurchSam Avery at St Peter Parmentergate Church (Image: Kate Wolstenholme/Newsquest)

A man dressed in black had sat down in the middle of the steps and was yelling at someone nearby. 

Sam asked him to move to the nearby bench but the man refused and started shouting abuse at him instead. 

Norwich Evening News: Sam and Lynne Avery are part of the team that co-founded Community East, a skatepark inside St Peter Parmentergate Church Sam and Lynne Avery are part of the team that co-founded Community East, a skatepark inside St Peter Parmentergate Church (Image: Newsquest)

When Sam pulled out his phone to film the interaction, as he had been told to do by police officers following similar incidents, the man became aggressive and started hitting and attacking him at the top of the steps.

Luckily, Sam managed to fight his way through the church door before he was seriously hurt and police officers arrived quickly.