Thief targets vicar after Christening (From The Northern Echo)

Thief targets vicar after Christening

8:00am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in News By Lauren Pyrah, Deputy Business Editor

CHURCH THEFT: The Reverend Lissa Gibbons in St Matthew’s and St Luke’s Church

A VICAR has expressed her shock and dismay after discovering jewellery, her mobile phone and purse had been stolen while she was conducting a Christening.

The Reverend Lissa Gibbons, vicar of St Matthew’s and St Luke’s, in Darlington, described the crime as extremely mean and said she lost irreplaceable information and pictures on her phone.

Also taken were three watches, one of which was a Gucci given to her by a friend who has since died.

Ms Gibbons realised the items were missing from her handbag in the vestry after the Christening service for four children ended at about 1.20pm on Sunday.

After the service, she and the warden went to the front of the church to say goodbye to people while some of the congregation remained behind to take photographs and talk. The church’s back door, leading from outside to the vestry, was locked.

Ms Gibbons said: “There were a lot of people milling around for about 20 minutes or so after the service. When we went back into the vestry, I noticed my phone and wallet were missing from my handbag.”

The phone, an LG Chocolate, contained pictures of sentimental value and phone numbers that Ms Gibbons had not noted down elsewhere.

The wallet contained £40 and bank and credit cards.

The phone cover and wallet were a matching set that were a present.

Ms Gibbons later noticed that three watches she had taken to have the batteries replaced were also missing.

She said: “I feel very upset and let down. It was a happy occasion where we were welcoming these children into the church. It is not just bad for me, it is also horrible for the families who have had their special day used in that way. No one had any cause to go into the vestry. It was a very mean crime.”

She said the theft had also caused a lot of inconvenience.

“I spent all afternoon cancelling my cards. I even rang my phone and left a message to ask for it back. It is an old phone, and is not worth very much to whoever has taken it, but it has a lot of things on it which I haven’t backed up and which have great value to me.

“The whole experience has been very upsetting, but it is heartwarming how helpful everybody from the church has been.”

Anyone with information has been asked to call police on 101.