Is nothing sacred? Thief steals antique bibles from churches

At least nine antique bibles have been stolen from churches in England already this year and church wardens fear there may be more to come.

Among the stolen books was a rare 18th Century 'Vinegar' bible - reported to be worth about 14,000 pounds.

The 42lbs bible, which features a major spelling mistake, went missing from St Mary The Virgin Church in Church Lane, Twyford, near Winchester, Hants, last month.

It should have 'The Parable of the Vineyard' printed on it but instead has 'The Parable of the Vinegar'.

The original had been displayed in a glass case, but the thief replaced it with a fake.

Pc Mark Smith of Hampshire Constabulary, said: "The bible stolen from Twyford is particularly rare and distinctive.

"It was printed in 1717 and contains a printing error that makes it unique.

"It should have 'The Parable of the Vineyard' printed on it but instead has 'The Parable of the Vinegar'.

"This obviously makes it a rare and distinctive book so anyone who has seen it would remember it."

The thief was captured on the church CCTV system shortly after midday on April 24.

He is described as a white middle-aged male who was wearing a panama hat.

Reverend Mark Bailey said the congregation were extremely upset at the loss of the ancient bible which first went on display at the church in 1930.

He said: "It's not just a Vinegar bible. It means a lot to so many people.

"It used to be the lecturn bible but after we had it restored in 2000 we put it on display in a locked case in the Knave.

"The thief obviously knew what they were doing because they replaced it with a King James bible - presumably so we wouldn't notice the theft.

"I would urge other churches to check their old bibles and make sure they are the originals.

"I would also ask anyone who is offered a vinegar bible to ask questions about where it came from."

Just days later seven leather-bound volumes of the Old and New Testament were stolen from the nearby St John's Church in Braishfield, near Romsey, Hants.

The theft of a valuable 'Vinegar Bible' with the same spelling error was also reported in Devon earlier this month.

The bible, said to be worth more than 14,000 pounds, was stolen from the lectern at Clyst St Lawrence Church, near Cullumpton.

Pc Smith said: "These incidents are so similar that it is likely that they are linked.

"All of the bibles were taken while the churches were open for worship to the public, so it is likely that there were witnesses to these thefts."

Reverend Bailey said they would be stepping up security and had removed other valuable items from dispay.

He said: "A lot of effort appears to have gone into these recent thefts.

"It's a real shame the thief can't use their energy for good rather than for criminal purposes."

Pc Smith added: "It is sad that we have to urge our rural churches to be security conscious but these thefts leave us with little option."