Daylight burglary leaves church unable to play music at funerals
A burglary at a Black Country church has left it unable to play recorded music at funerals after a computer tablet was stolen.
West Midlands Police have been reviewing CCTV following the incident at St Thomas's Church in Stourbridge.
No historical items were taken from the church in the raid on Sunday, January 31 at around 2.30pm, but the theft of the tablet means the church cannot control its PA system.
Rev Andrew Sillis, vicar of St Thomas's, said it meant the church on Market Street could not amplify voices of play recorded music at funerals.
He said: "The thief was very fortunate not to have been disturbed, because there are usually people in the church.
"Replacing the stolen item will probably cost us 10 times what it is worth to the thief.
"Local churches like ours are the local community; so when folk steal from a church, they’re stealing from their community, their neighbours, their family."
West Midlands Police have urged anyone with any information about the burglary to contact officers via Live Chat online on the force website or to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 and quote crime reference number 20DY/30353B/21.
