THIEVES stole more than £1,000 worth of valuable stones when they targeted a church in Tottington.

St Anne’s Church was singled out in what was the third reported incident of its kind in the area in the last few weeks.

A coping stone was taken from the church grounds in the early hours of September 1.

On the same day, two Yorkshire stone pyramids were stolen from the grounds of a property in Carrbank Drive, Ramsbottom.

Paving stones were taken from a front garden in Bradshaw Road, Tottington, on August 24.

Last week, we reported that 10 stone caps had been stolen from Elton Primary School, leaving the school with a bill for thousands of pounds.

Inspector Bryn Williams said: “This continues to be a problem and there is obviously a market out there. We would ask people to be extra vigilant, especially those having work done on their gardens or hiring contractors, and to enquire as to where the stone is from. If anyone has any suspicions they should contact Ramsbottom police on 0161 856 8181.”