When
news happens: You can now text us, send videos, pictures and audio
from your mobile.
Start your message with ECHONEWS leave
a space and then send your comments to 80360,
or email
your tip-offs...
A THIEF was chased by three musicians after stealing a horn players' handbag from a church.
Helen Crate, 30, who plays horn with Southend Band, had her black canvas bag stolen from the foyer of Thorpe Bay Methodist Church an hour before she was due to play in a concert.
Three band members chased the thief as he leapt over garden fences to get away. Because Helen's uniform was locked in her car, she had to play in the concert in the clothes she was wearing.
advertisement
Ms Crate, 30, of Marguerite Drive, Leigh, said: "If you leave your bag in a nightclub or the High Street, you kind of expect this sort of thing.
"You just don't expect someone to steal from a church in broad daylight.
"Luckily, my friend had a spare horn and I had to play in my normal clothes, looking very silly.
"It was also lucky I have a spare key for the car, so I had everything by Sunday for the opening of the bandstand in Priory Park."
Ms Crate said she spotted a man lurking near the church foyer. She had put her bag on a table, but did not realise it had been moved into the foyer.
When she went to check what the man wanted, she saw him walking along Thorpe Bay Broadway, with her bag over his shoulder and shouted for help.
Inside was £140, a digital camera and the car keys, worth a total of £500.
Ms Crate had to cancel her bank cards and change her locks.
She said: "It's a nightmare. My car has central locking and we were worried the thief might come back, press the button and steal my car too. So everyone parked their cars around mine, blocking me in.
"Stuff like my diary is irreplaceable. I know I'm never going to get it back."
The thief was white, slim in his early twenties, 5ft 11ins tall, with short black hair. He was wearing a white and black check shirt and dark blue jeans.
Anyone with information about the theft, at 6.05pm on Saturday, should call police at Shoebury on 0300 333 4444.
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
READERS' COMMENTS:
We ask you to keep your comments respectful and bear in mind the subject matter. Please avoid tasteless and abusive language. We may be required to pass on details to the police/and or the business which owns any computers being used to place inappropriate material.
Thousands of Jobs,
Homes & Cars in and around Essex
Print
Email this
Comment
