UK COMPUTER EQUIPMENT STOLEN FROM CHURCH Churchs New Equipment Stolen (from Bucks Free Press):

Church's new equipment stolen

A CHURCH in Loudwater has been broken into and had brand new equipment stolen just months after it re-opened following a £50,000 refurbishment.

St Peter's in Treadaway Hill was targeted by a gang of burglars who ransacked the church and made off with computer screens, monitors and remote controls.

The break-in happened at around 12.45am last Thursday and the thieves forced their way in through a rear door. They made off with the hi-tech equipment before the police arrived at the scene.

The church has already suffered at the hands of burglars, after being broken into twice five years ago. On both occasions the burglars made off with musical equipment, including a guitar which belonged to Reverend Tim Butlin.

Rev Butlin thought last week's break-in was carried out by professionals who had visited the church and checked out its security system before the raid. He said: "It's a Church of England church, we have got an open welcome to anybody of course, but you have this sickening feeling that people have been in there and seen the one weak spot.

"You have to have a criminal mind set to do that. When they came in they simply took things that were tradeable over the pub counter."

The thieves ripped monitors off the walls leaving huge holes and even left one screen dangling from its wires, after deciding not to take it with them.

Despite the damage services on Sunday were not disrupted and Rev Butlin is hoping the church's insurance will cover it, but said money will have to be raised to pay for more security. He was not sure how much the damage would cost as he was still making a list of what had been taken.

Rev Butlin added: "To take some of that stuff out it would take you hours, but they have just come in and smashed and grabbed and you just end up with this sickening feeling that you have been violated.

"From the congregation's point of view, everything must have worked pretty nearly as it normally does. That's extremely satisfying because I would hate to give someone the satisfaction that they closed us down."

The thieves were caught on CCTV and police are now investigating. Anyone with information on the burglary should contact police on 08458 505 505 or through Crime-stoppers on 0800 111 555.