A treasured 5ft brass cross was stolen from a church in West Hendon last Thursday after the doors were left open to encourage more people to pray.

Burglars broke down a screen, which separates an open praying area from the main church, and stole the ornate cross from St John the Evangelist Church, in Algernon Road.

The church leaves its main oak doors open during the day so people can sit on a stool and have a full view of the inside of the building behind a locked screen partition.

But thieves smashed through the partition and stole small pieces of silverware, a brass communion plate and the cross, which was given to the church in 1897 and usually hangs behind the pulpit.

Reverend John Hawkins said: "These things cannot be replaced, they were given in the spirit of love to the church as presents.

"Nothing taken is expensive but it is the great sentimental value attached to these items. Everyone in the congregation was shocked and distressed when they arrived on Sunday morning to find the cross gone. It is a real knock-back for us."

The church is appealing for the items to be returned. Rev Hawkins said: "It could have been much worse, you hear about people completely destroying places and setting fire to things, but it is still very sad. We would like to have our things back because, in a sense, they were given to God when they were donated. We can only have faith that they will be returned."

The raid took place between 8.30am and 4pm. If you have any information regarding the incident, contact police on 020 8733 4595.