A VIRGIN Mary statue believed to have been stolen from a hospital has been found – in another section of the site being used in a shrine.

Relatives of a man in intensive care, a member of a travelling family, had set up the shrine by his hospital bed, using several religious artefacts, including a Virgin Mary statue ‘borrowed’ from the hospital’s chapel.

Staff had alerted police to the ‘theft’ of the statues and officers had released CCTV of two suspects.

However, developments this week saw hospital security staff discover the statues when the man’s condition improved and he moved ward.

PC Gary Hennighan confirmed the statues had been returned and no further action would be taken.