This is the shocking moment a brazen thief walks through an empty church to snatch a priceless bronze eagle sculpture that people have worshipped in front of for nearly 160 years.
CCTV footage shared with The Independent and West Midlands Police appears to show a hooded man shielding his face as he walks calmly past the empty pews of St Augustine’s Church in Edgbaston at 11am on Monday.
He looks around before covering the sculpture in a blanket and walking back through the church carrying the heavy relic between his legs.
It is believed he fled the scene in a van parked nearby.
The eagle lectern has been a feature of St Augustine’s since its consecration in 1868. It was created by the eminent Victorian company of Hardman & Co who also designed the stained glass windows of the Houses of Parliament in London.
Stephen Hartland, churchwarden emeritus for St Augustine’s, told The Independent: “He walks in and diverts his face from the cameras. He has obviously reccied the place beforehand.
“The church has been there open every day for 160 years so thankfully this is a rare occurrence.
“But it is absolutely brazen.
“That is usually a time when a lot of people are there, the vicar was there 20 minutes before and came back ten minutes after. So he chose his moment very carefully.”
He added: “This item means an awful lot to us. It has been a piece of our worship for nearly 160 years.
“It’s that continuity of worship, it is not - as it may be to him - just a pile of brass that he’s going to get £100 for.”
“This is a priceless object of worship to the St Augustine’s congregation.”
He urged the thief to drop it off “anywhere” so it can be safely recovered in one piece.
He added: “I’m sure the insurance will pay out and we can get a new one - but it’s not the same, is it?
“You feel violated. The church is open because it is important to the community. He has violated that trust and every member of our congregation that finds St Augustine’s a very holy place.”
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “The theft has been reported to us and our enquiries are on-going.”
