Gutted and demoralised: Raiders target Wolverhampton church twice in a month

Exasperated vicar Rev Stuart Powell said many of the items stolen, including turn-of-the-century brass water jugs, could not be replaced. Items from the 19th century Arts and Crafts movement were also snatched in the raids.

The intruders broke into St Stephen The Martyr parish church in Hilton Street through a leaded glass window on both occasions before smashing through an Edwardian wooden door.

Rev Powell said: "Some people say we should put up barbed wire to protect the site but we don't want to turn the church into a fortress."

His son Stephen Powell said they had been left 'gutted and demoralised' by the attacks.

The first break-in was discovered on September 13, shortly before the regular Wednesday service, and took place some time between then and the previous Sunday.

One of the brass jugs taken was from the former St George's Church in the city centre, which was turned into a Sainsbury's store. The raiders also pulled an overhead sanctuary lamp from its chains and took votive lamps and altar bells. Lead substitute was also taken from the roof.

Rev Powell said: "It is not just the financial implications. When items such as this are taken, you lose important connections with the past. The insurance will probably pay out but you can't replace like with like.

"You couldn't afford to buy items like that anymore, the Church doesn't have the resources."

He added: "It's not easy being the church in these places.We don't get a lot of people and you feel vulnerable on several fronts.

"It's not a catastrophic loss but it's depressing, and it's the burden of sorting out everything afterwards. I don't live at St Stephen's, the vicarage was sold of some years ago, so it is vulnerable.

"The windows have got grilles but they just pull them off and get in that way. I had a similar problem when I worked in a parish in Castle Vale in Birmingham. When you start putting up these devices, you make the church look unattractive.

In the second raid last Friday(29th), the burglars stole only some tins of biscuits.

Church warden Robin Whitehouse said there had not had time to fully secure the window after the previous burglary and although the internal door had been temporarily repaired, the intruders smashed through the panels again.

"I didn't think anything had been taken at first but when I went to get a biscuit while I waited for the police to come, the cupboard was bare," he said.

"We haven't had a break-in for five or six years when lead was taken from the roof. On this occasion they have also got on to the roof again and damaged the lightning conductor cable, so there is also that to sort out."

Two years ago St Stephen's became part of a united benefice with its sister church, St Martin's in Dixon Street, with Rev Powell serving both churches.

The parish was established in 1872 as an Iron Mission Church, so-called because such churches were built of galvanised iron, to serve the workers flocking to the area to work at the Springfield Brewery, the Great Western Railway and the London North Western Railway.

The present brick church was consecrated in 1908. In recent years, St. Stephen's has attracted congregations from beyond its parish boundary, with people travelling from all over Wolverhampton, particularly since St.Georges’s and Christ Church closed.