Silver stolen in abbey break-in

Police said thieves broke through a door to gain entry to the church

A large amount of silver items were stolen in a break-in at Sherborne's medieval abbey.

Dorset Police said thieves broke through a door of the church sometime between 21:00 BST on Tuesday and 01:00 on Wednesday.

The force said "several items of high-value silver" were stolen.

Sherborne Abbey posted on social media that it was closed until further notice following the burglary.

It is believed the offenders entered through the Abbey Close end of the building and exited near Church Lane.

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Mark Jones said: “Sherborne Abbey is a historic landmark of significant cultural value to not just the town but the whole county, and we are carrying out inquiries into this burglary to identify those responsible.

“We are keen to trace the movement of the offenders in the areas of Hospital Lane, Abbey Road, Church Lane and Half Moon Street so I would ask local residents to please check their home CCTV and doorbell cameras to see if they have captured anything of relevance."

Sherborne Abbey was founded by St Aldhelm in AD 705 and is regarded as one of the country's most beautiful parish churches.