Church targeted by thieves again

FOOD thefts . . . Judith Haughton, treasurer at United Reformed Church on Union Street, by the smashed window

A SECOND Oldham Church is finding itself repeatedly targeted by thieves who seem to only want food.

The United Reformed Church in Union Street was broken into between last Sunday and Tuesday morning, the fifth time in three months, at a cost of thousands, according to treasurer Judith Haughton.

The thief went round the front of the church and up towards a narrow alley where they smashed through a long stained-glass window and ripped the lead framework from the wall.

Such was the force used to break the window that glass sprayed across the church benches, reaching as far as the alter.

The thief scrambled through, bypassing a store of silver communion plates and Christmas presents, and stole food.

It has been reported to the police and Judith estimates the cost of repairing the damage over the past few months is at least £3,000.

She said: "We have had a lot done to secure the windows of the church by putting up metal grids on some of the windows.

"It has cost around £3,000 to repair and secure them.

"I would never have dreamed that they would go through those windows. It has happened at least four times. All they seem to come in for is food, milk, tea, coffee. They don't take the silver communion plates.

"They keep just coming through."

Another church, Oldham Baptist Church, Chaucer Street, recently suffered its seventh break-in since January when the thieves used tools to wrench off security bars and smash through a window.

Again the thieves did not seem to steal much, but the cost of repairs, replacing glass and installing security measures came as a big hit for the self-funded church.

The food store has since been removed.