THIEVES have raided a Hampshire church stealing irreplaceable furniture.

Two wedding chairs along with a Bishop's chair and a mother-of-pearl baptism shell were taken during the raid on St Peter's church in Curdridge.

The highly-prized carved oak chairs are thought to have been in the church since it was built in 1888 and were used by countless generations of villagers and religious notables.

Rector of the church Reverend Ian Coomber, who discovered the theft, said the community would be devastated by the loss.

"The chairs are absolutely irreplaceable and were part of the fabric of this church. The congregation will be extremely sad to learn they have been taken and that there is little likelihood of ever having them back.

"They were the only pieces of movable furniture that were of any value, but now our only treasures have gone," he said.

The raiders broke into the Church Lane vestry overnight on Wednesday through a window which itself will cost hundreds of pounds to repair.

After helping themselves to the chairs and the baptism shell, which was encased in a box, they escaped with their £2,000 haul through the main door.

The burglary comes a month after a keyboard was taken from the church and police are investigating the possibility that the two are linked.

PC Kath Stevens of Meon Valley police said: "There is the chance that during the first break-in the thieves noticed the chairs and made a note to come back for those.

"They knew what they wanted as they went for the only things of value. Nothing else was taken and some sort of van or trailer must have been used to carry the chairs away.

"These people have stolen from a church, and stolen items that are so valuable to the small community of Curdridge, so if anybody does have any information then please get in touch."

Anyone with information can contact PC Stevens on 0845 045 4545.