Father at Eastbourne church slams copper roofing thieves after £7,000 loss and damage

The thieves targeted St Richard’s Church in Langney on February 19 between 1am and 7am stealing copper roofing from the building’s Edmonds Chapel and causing £7,000 worth of loss and damage, according to police.

Father Timothy Ezat from the church said, “We are gutted. The cost is not just financial but it’s demoralising. I just feel like I try to do good, try to be a church that welcomes people and look after people. What is it we do to deserve this? It’s very distressing for the church.

“I would urge the people who did this to look into the fact the church is doing good and serving a lot of people; the more problems we have the harder it becomes for us to welcome people and be a positive force. It puts a strain on our abilities, time and finance. It is a tiring game the thieves are playing with us.”

Father Ezat said a like-for-like restoration will cost the church in the region of £10,000. He said this is the third time in two years the church has been a target for thieves, the last attack happening on December 31.

PCSO Daryl Holter, Sussex Police’s heritage crime advisor, said, “Damaging any property is bad enough. However, targeting a church used by the community is disgraceful. Churches evoke and create memories, we use and need these places for so many reasons. This will no doubt be incredibly frustrating and frankly depressing for the church, and of course the cost, financially and emotionally, will be overwhelming.”

Father Ezat said the church is open as usual and will still be running the Foodbank on Monday.

Anyone who may have information that could assist officers is asked to contact Sussex Police online or by phoning 101, quoting serial 1181 of 19/02.