THE vicar of Langley Burrell has spoken out after thieves gave his church a poor start to 2018 by making off with the two large wooden gates

from the church car park.

The Reverend Dave Kilmister, of St Peter’s Church, has reported the theft to police after discovering the the £800 gates had been lifted off their hinges and taken away at some point

between January 3 and 6.

“We have had the gates for about three years now and when we went to clear up after Christmas, we realised they had been stolen,” he said. “It’s really disappointing.

“The gates were fairly secure, but the thieves had to use a

hammer to prize the lock pins. There is no damage to the fixings at all but we are going to have to buy some new gates.

“The police have been as helpful as they can but the gates could be on the other side of the country by now for all we know. They cost about £800 for the pair, so we will be looking to replace those soon.”

Although the cost of new gates should be covered by insurance, the theft comes when the church is trying to save every penny as it is facing spending thousands of pounds for major roof works, which start this week.

There are also plans in the future to bring the church into the 21st century by building a disabled toilet and a small kitchen area.

“Unfortunately the theft has come while we are doing some major works, costing around £60,000, to repair a leak in the roof which has been a problem for the last five or six years,” Mr Kilmister added.

“The work has just started, finishing at Easter.”