Thieves stole £4,000 worth of lead from a church roof.

They used a stolen ladder to climb onto St John the Baptist Church, Finchingfield.

The Revd Colin Wilson said: “It is very depressing and given the fact that this church is pretty much in the centre of FInchingfield, it is not just depressing but also quite shocking that thieves would have the audacity to actually attack the church just after 1am on the bank holiday Monday.

“The pubs were still open and people were moving around, although it does look like they were disturbed and were originally planning to take more.

“It just makes you think that nothing is sacred any more in this society.”