THIEVES smashed their way into a church, vandalised the vestry and stole equipment used by community groups.

The burglars broke in through a ground floor window at Edenfield Methodist Church and searched every room before ransacking the building.

They made off with a CD player, a tape player, a cash box containing £3, CDs and trinkets donated to the charity stall, and destroyed another empty money box.

A popular toddler group, Age UK members and elderly parishioners were left ‘saddened and disappointed’ by the break-in.

Jenifer Mead, a lifelong congregation member and secretary of the Edenfield Residents’ Association, said: “They’ve taken things worth so little and left such a mess.

“A lot of the parishioners are elderly and it just seems so very unfair.

“The toddler group has been left without any music for the children. We’ve been cleaning broken glass from the smashed window out of the Sunday School room.”

Coun Darryl Smith, who lives in Edenfield, said: “The people who broke in are absolutely heartless. They should search their consciences.”

Police carried out inquiries into the incident which happened overnight on Friday into the early hours of Saturday.

Sergeant Mark Taylor, of Rossendale Police, said: “It’s a horrible and despicable thing to do.”

Anyone who heard or saw anything suspicious should ring 101.