THIEVES have broken into a South Cheshire church and plundered hundreds of pounds in collection money and a host of religious antiques.

The crooks forced their way into St Mark's Church, on Main Road, Shavington, through a fire door in the early hours of Friday.

They stole a two-foot-high safe containing two weeks of collection money along with three silver wine chalices, used during communion.

They also took two silver plates, called patens, from which the vicar serves the ceremonial bread of Christ to repenting worshippers.

The Rev Sheila Mitchell said she was shocked by the break-in. She said: 'To steal from a church is terrible. I have spoken to my parishioners about what happened and they just said it was beyond belief.

'One of my parishioners discovered the safe was gone on Friday lunchtime. To think that people can just break into a church and walk off with a safe, you have to wonder. I was horrified.'

Mrs Mitchell believes the thieves tried to burgle the church three months ago but left empty-handed when they could not get into the safe.

She said: 'They went through all the keys in church but we don't keep one to the safe there. This time they just took the whole thing.'

The safe, which is green and manufactured by Ratners, also held a ceremonial trowel to commemorate the laying of the foundation stone at St Mark's in 1885.

The vicar, who has been at St Mark's for three years, added: 'It was silver with an ivory handle. That is the one thing that is irreplaceable. I don't understand how they think they are going to sell it on. It will be clear to an antique dealer that it's from a church.

Mrs Mitchell believes a bottle of communion wine kept in the safe would have smashed during the theft, staining the cash, which she hopes may help the police.

She added:'A nearby resident saw two men carrying something away from the church at about 4am, and another man standing in the church grounds. I don't know if they were responsible but it seems likely.'

* The stolen chalices are described as silver or silver-plated and are around seven inches high. The pattens, made of silver, are six inches in diameter. Anyone with information should call Crewe Police on 01270 500222.