THIEVES caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage when they stole an irreplaceable piece of a church's history.

Father John Lloyd-James is furious with burglars who broke into St Mary's church in the centre of Kemp Town, Brighton, and made off with a heavy 6ft icon of the Virgin Mary and Child.

The thieves smashed doors and wooden surrounds as they rampaged through the Victorian red brick building, a favourite of the late Sir John Betjeman.

Father Lloyd-James, who was the star of television's The Parish fly on the wall series in 1997, has no idea how the thieves managed to drag away the heavy wooden icon with its gold leaf background.

He believes it would have taken at least three men to lift the valuable piece of art and is hoping somebody saw people acting suspiciously in the area at the time.

The burglars broke into the church sometime on Saturday night. Father John discovered the theft himself as he opened up the for the first Sunday service.

The thieves also stole a picture of Jesus Christ, cutting it from its frame which they left propped up against a wall.

Father John immediately re-hallowed the corner of the church where the early 19th century icon had stood because it had been desecreted.

He said: "I am very, very angry over this theft. The icon was obviously stolen to order.

"We were going to place it on the wall facing the church entrance so it was the first thing you saw when you entered St Mary and you got the wow factor.

"I am prepared to forgive the thieves, but I want our icon back first.

"It belongs to the people of this parish and the people of Brighton."

Police are appealing for anyone who saw anything suspicious near the church to call 001273 606744.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.