Organ pipes stolen from West Sussex church - 'Unusual and disconcerting'

An investigation has been launched after organ pipes were stolen from a grade I-listed church in West Sussex.

The theft happened at St John The Divine Church in Patching, near Worthing, overnight between Friday, May 12 and Saturday 13th.

The theft also caused damage to historic equipment at the Norman church and is expected to cost thousands of pounds to repair or replace, according to Sussex Police’s rural crime team.

Churchwarden Kath Hutchinson said: “On Saturday morning, I found the organ damaged and possibly irreparable. It’s an old church and old organ. It’s got quite a lot of pipes on it.