Youth club has £700 of equipment stolen from St Andrew's Church in Leytonstone

Leytonstone Youth Matters, a volunteer-run organisation operating in St Andrew’s Church in Colworth Road, Leytonstone, was robbed of over £700 in equipment and is appealing for donations to keep services running.

One of the burglars is believed to have managed to get through a small kitchen window at the church  after opening a protective grate and breaking glass in the early hours of Sunday (March 22).

He is then believed to have broken open the internal security doors and locks on the main doors to let an accomplice in.

The kitchen window was broken into.

The thieves first targted a safe but it had been cleared of cash the previous evening before grabbing silver ceremonial plates and a donation box containing about £5.

The cost of the damage is yet to be estimated, but is believed to far outweight the value of the amount stolen.

Church warden Rosemarie Bettout said: “When I first came in, I couldn’t believe what had happened.

“We were so lucky because we had just had a large amount of donations through the crucifixion ceremony, but the money was moved off-site.

“They must have seen the large amount of people and then assumed there would be big money here.

“At the service the following morning, where we normally pray for poor people in need from across the world, we just remembered the people that burgled our church.

"I mean how desperate do you have to be?

“How do we come to this stage where we accept this as part of normal life?

“We normally have coffee and toast in the kitchen and gather round to chat but it was turned into a crime scene, with all the forensic teams, so we all had to go home.”

St Andrew's Church was targetted by thieves

Leytonstone Youth Matters was broken into as part of a burglary.

Over £700 worth of equipment was stolen including two games consoles, a float with money as well as the centre’s tuck shop.

The volunteer-led organisation is asking for donations to keep their day-sessions running while they wait for an insurance payment.

Amardeep Riyat, 19, who runs marketing at the youth club said: “Everyone was a bit shocked by the break in.

“Any donations to keep us running our clubs as normal would be greatly appreciated.”

The church suffered a similar break-in three years ago.

A police spokeswoman said: “Waltham Forest officers have attended the scene and a search was carried out revealing no trace of any suspects. No arrests have been made and enquiries continue.”

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