Burglars Steal Poole Pastor's Christmas Presents

24 December 2014, 17:28 | Updated: 24 December 2014, 17:30

Thieves stole Christmas presents from a pastor's house in Poole while he was in church leading a carol service.

Simon Patterson returned home in Poole, Dorset, on Sunday evening to discover that the front door was slightly open and a garden spade had been left next to it.

Inside, he found that one bedroom had been rifled through and some of his four children's Christmas presents had been taken from a wardrobe, along with a tablet computer and a woman's handbag containing a phone, purse and digital camera.

Mr Patterson, who leads Parkstone Evangelical Free Church, said: ``We had a burglary while we were at a carol service and they took some presents.''

He said family and friends had helped to replace the stolen gifts and urged members of the public not to donate anything.

``We've had lots of generosity and gifts from other people,'' he said

A Dorset Police spokeswoman said: ``We were called to reports of a burglary on Ringwood Road which occurred sometime between 3.40pm and 5.50pm on December 21.

``Offenders gained access to the secured premises by forcing the front door and stole an unknown quantity of children's Christmas presents and jewellery.

``There have been no arrests.''