Break-ins at three churches in Peterborough area in under 24 hours

Thorney Abbey, St Andrew’s in Whittlesey and St Giles in Holme were all broken into over the weekend with money stolen from St Andrew’s, police said.

No arrests have been made and officers are “keeping an open mind as to whether the incidents are linked”.

All of the break-ins were between 4pm on Saturday and 8.30am the following morning.

At Thorney Abbey, a Cambridgeshire police spokeswoman said: “A diamond pane window on the altar end of the church has been smashed, the window bars have been bent/removed and the bin has been knocked over inside the church suggesting entry has been gained. It doesn’t appear anything was taken.”

At St Andrew’s in Church Street, the spokeswoman said: “The lead porch window to the church was broken to gain entry. Once inside a search has been carried out and a window to the vestry has been broken using a chair. A small amount of cash from a pot was stolen.”

And at St Giles in Church Street she said: “A leaded vestry window has been removed to gain entry to the church. A search was conducted but it does not appear anything was taken.”

Churchwarden Judith Osborne said: “This is the fourth time in 14 months that St Giles church, Holme, has been broken into. There is nothing in church that is worth stealing; but the cost of the damage is becoming prohibitive as both our insurance and the excess are going up.”

Anyone with any information should call police on 101 or report online at www.cambs.police.uk/report quoting the below crime reference numbers:

. Thorney: 35/11863/20

. Holme: 35/11866/20

. Whittlesey: 35/11844/20.