A RECTOR described his sheer disbelief following the discovery that £60,000 worth of lead had been stolen from the roof of his church.

The theft at St Martin's Church, Cheselbourne, has hit the parish particularly hard due to the current coronavirus crisis, as the church is regarded as a beacon of hope by residents, Rector Roger Butcher said.

"Early on Monday morning one of the local villagers noticed the damage – my first reaction upon surveying the damage was sheer disbelief," he added.

"We are in a time of national crisis, for someone to act like this is quite unwelcome, to put it mildly.

"The church acts as a bit of a beacon of hope, it's still deemed as a sacred space by many people.

"As one of our youngest parishioners said, the people who did this must be 'the lowest of the low' – that's probably about right."

Police investigating the theft are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

It is reported to have occurred between 9.30am on Sunday, March 15 and 9.30am on Monday March 16.

Mr Butcher added, "At our time of national concern we desperately need the comfort of a message of light in the darkness.

"We will recover. Local businesses and a sense of community will return. In the meantime, we will try and make the church building waterproof, albeit temporary and seek long term solutions.

"Most importantly I ask you to care for your neighbour. We will recover."

It comes after lead was stolen from Queen's Avenue doctor's surgery in Dorchester.

Police Sergeant Andy Napper, of the Dorchester Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “I am appealing to anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the Cheselbourne area during the relevant times to please get in touch.

“I am aware of another report of lead theft in the Dorchester area recently and would like to reassure the public that an investigation is underway into both incidents.

“I would urge any residents to check their home CCTV or dashcams for any relevant footage to assist my enquiries.

“If you have any information about who is responsible, please contact Dorset Police.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55200040400.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.