Burial plot plan stolen during church safe heist

Eric Fenwick, volunteer minister at the Chapel and School Room church, said the burglary was "upsetting"

A burial plot plan was among documents in a safe stolen during a church burglary - carried out after a wooden cross had been carefully moved to stop it getting damaged.

A volunteer minister at the Chapel and School Room Church, in Woodham Ferrers, near Chelmsford, said the loss of the plan would make it "harder to do burials".

During the break-in at the weekend, burglars forced their way into the vestry before ripping out a “hefty old safe".

Eric Fenwick, who has been a volunteer minister at the church for 25 years, said: “It’s really upsetting – it’s like someone breaking into your personal space at home."

The vestry was left in disarray after being ransacked during a break-in

He added: “They possibly thought we had a silver chalice and plate in there but we don’t, so I can only think the people who did it are not very bright at all.”

The safe taken had “significant” burial and marriage records, certificates for the burial of ashes, baptism books and a small cash tin with “about £20 in it”.

The burial plot document helped the church decide where to lay someone to rest.

'Vacant plots'

Mr Fenwick added: “There are a number of vacant plots but not masses of them so that is something we really need to know – it makes it harder to do burials.

“But one interesting thing is there was a wooden cross on a small cabinet and it was very carefully put out of sight on the other side of the room.

“So, whether those who did it have some sort of historical Christian background or not, I don’t know, but there was a reason for moving it while they did what they did.”

Essex Police has appealed for information about the break-in, which happened in Main Road between 12:00 GMT on 9 November and 08:00 GMT on 11 November.

A spokesperson said there was a "messy" search before the safe was taken.