Three teenagers who sprayed graffiti on a country church have been ordered to stand in front of a vicar and the congregation and apologise.

The 750-year-old St Peter’s Church in North Tawton, Devon, is known to millions of television viewers from the BBC comedy series Jam and Jerusalem. It is also the church where the funeral of the poet Ted Hughes took place in 1998.

However, fans of the series starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders would hardly have recognised it after the three teenagers sprayed dozens of smiley faces and lewd comments on gravestones, memorials and walls.

The culprits were swiftly identified as two girls, aged 14 and 15, and a 16-year-old youth. They had been due to appear at Exeter Youth Court on a joint charge of causing criminal damage to the historic church.

Dave Brown, from the Devon Youth Offending Team, told the court that the teenagers face the “daunting” task of facing the vicar and congregation to say sorry for their actions, which caused widespread upset in the small town.

They have been given “final warnings” by Devon and Cornwall Police after agreeing to clear up the mess and make a formal apology to the congregation at the Sunday morning service on November 15.

The Rev Dr Brian Ardill, rector of St Peter’s, said that he was happy with the apology and thought the congregation would be too. He said: “They could have got a criminal record, but they are only about 15 to 16 and it will affect their chances of getting into university and other things. I had some very nice letters, which were very contrite and apologetic.

“I also had a call from the fathers of the people involved who were very embarrassed and devastated by what had happened.

“They have been quite penitent, not only in writing a letter, but to clean, put it right and apologise.”

Dr Ardill said the teenagers who caused the damage had spent six hours scrubbing the graffiti off the granite walls of the church. He said: “Hot water and a wire brush has worked really well and the walls have come up beautifully. I think the congregation feel they have done enough to show a change of heart. People are sort of accepting that it’s finished.”

Geoffrey Cox, the Conservative MP for Torridge and West Devon, said: “These young people must realise that what they did was very serious. Having said that, if they have shown a real desire to make good, and I understand that they have cleaned up what they did and are genuinely remorseful, then extending them a last chance may be the right course.”

North Tawton was chosen as the location for Jam and Jerusalem in 2005 and is known to viewers as Clatterford St Mary.Many local residents were also recruited to act as extras.

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