A MEMBER of the clergy has said she is shocked and saddened after her church had several precious items stolen during a raid.

St Lawrence Church in Great Waldingfield, near Sudbury, has been broken into with silverware, a high alter cross and a bishops chair among the items stolen.

The church, in The Street, was targeted by thieves between 4pm last Wednesday and 2.30pm the following day, but so far no one has come forward with any information about the crime.

Reverend Caroline Hallett said: “No one saw anything – the police have checked with neighbours. I think people are shocked and saddened by it. I suppose everybody thinks it will never happen to them.

“It’s sad that people break in and steal from anywhere.

“The warden went down on Thursday afternoon. There were cupboards open and she thought they had been just left like that. But then she saw that things had been emptied out and she was very upset. It is a huge shock when you see something like that.”

Rev Hallett said the church had been targeted before but the items had been recovered in the churchyard: “Some of the items are old and well-crafted, they are irreplaceable,” she said.

“They did not take items which anyone could come by.”

Rev Hallett, who has been at the church for almost three years, said that she did not know how much the stolen items were worth.

The church has been opening its doors to visitors each day this summer to allow members of the public a chance to take a look around.

Despite the raid the church ran a service yesterday, Rev Hallett said: “It will take a lot more than that to stop us.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101.