Frustration as redundant church near Daventry vandalised and donations stolen from safe

Villagers have been left angry and frustrated after vandals forced open a safe and stole donations from a historic redundant church near Daventry.

An amount of money was taken from the regularly-emptied safe box used for collecting upkeep donations at St Peter's Church in Wolfhampcote sometime overnight between July 20 and 21.

Camping equipment was thrown around and some destroyed, a wildlife camera was stolen, glass was broken, rubbish was left and bicycle skid marks were found all across the floor.

Christine Sanderson, who lives nearby and helps look after the church, turned to her creative side to express herself following the break-in.

"I was so angry at the sheer stupidity and futility of the theft and vandalism that I wrote a poem and put it on the St Peter's Church Wolfhampcote Facebook page and requested help in spreading the word all around to discourage miscreants," she said.

"This has been wildly successful and shown a big community of people who love the place and are also angry and frustrated."

St Peter's, which was built in the 13th century before Wolfhampcote was abandoned after the Black Death, is no longer used for religious services but is free to visit and holds regular events.

Anyone with information should contact Warwickshire Police, quoting incident 191 of July 26.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A Redundant Church by Christine Sanderson

The night was eery, ghosts in the stillness

No owls, just stars scattering their brilliance.

A world alone, alive only in memory.

No congregation in more than a century

the Location to blame, the building is guiltless,

No money, no need, no shouting peremptory

Demands, just strength and a quiet resilience,

Open to All, time's stillness not in jeopardy

A day-time serenity, a retreat for everybody.

But last night, in the quiet a man and his buddy

Slipped through the door and crept into its dullness.

They broke open the safe and stole all the money

Stuffed in by strangers from summer to Christmas.

They stole the webcam, set to catch their treachery,

No devotion, maybe greed, the pain of their penury

But loud in the air now a shrillness

A centuries old smell of catastrophic illness

Neglect, no love, a futile hope of fulfilment

A church and its people share sorrow and darkness.