Valuable The Lord of the Rings books in Worcester display are stolen

The hospice said the books were the 'perfect addition for any collector or Tolkien enthusiast'

A charity says a set of three first-edition The Lord of the Rings books has been stolen from its shop.

St Richard's Hospice in Worcester said it was saddened "by the theft of these beautiful, valuable books".

The charity added: "They could also have raised a substantial amount towards our hospice care."

The books had been displayed in a locked cabinet at the store on St Swithins Street, disappearing on 19 December.

The charity said the loss of titles The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, had been reported to the police.

Dan Corns, commercial director at St Richard's, said the hardbacks featured first-edition text from 1954, but were all published in 1957, so while first editions, they were not first printings. He estimated them collectively to be worth about £1,500.

The hospice said the books were in good condition, with some wear and tear to the dust jackets

Mr Corns said: "For this to happen less than a week before Christmas, and during a difficult time for all in the charity sector, is especially upsetting."

Each book has a map of Middle Earth attached to its back cover

St Richard's Hospice supports more than 2,900 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire and says annual running costs for the last 12 months amounted to £8.75m.