THIEVES broke into a church twice in two days and set fire to a charity collection box to steal cash.

The crooks caused nearly £1,000 damage to St Margaret’s Church, Bowers Gifford, to steal just a few pounds from the flower and charity collection boxes.

Police have launched a probe into the thefts and branded the villains “low lifes”.

Sgt Simon Grays, of Pitsea police, said: “I cannot understand what kind of a human being would break into a church to steal donated money that wasn’t just for the church but for a deserving cancer charity too.

“The people responsible are low lifes who clearly don’t understand or even care about what good that money could have done. Now the church has the hassle and expense of fixing the damage.

“This act has personally sickened me.”

The thieves got into the church, which dates back to Saxon times, in Church Road, Pitsea, by forcing a side window, causing £700 damage.

Once inside they took the plastic Marie Curie cancer charity collection box and set fire to it, melting it, to get the cash from inside. They caused £100 damage to the church’s wooden floor and fled with the cash haul.

It is not known how much was taken.

Just 24 hours later, the crooks struck again at the church.

They smashed the side-window to get in before stealing the flower collection box.

The box was regularly filled with donations from parishioners to pay for flower arrangements at the Anglican church.

Rev Ian Swift, associate minister at the church said: “This is really not very nice, as our parishioners are good enough to donate the money. One doesn’t like to think of something like this being done in a church.

“We said prayers in church on Sunday and we hope the next time these thieves visit us, they make it official by coming to our mass.”

Sgt Gray urged the thieves to do the right thing and hand themselves in.

He added: “I appeal to the conscience of those who did this to hand themselves in.

“Or, if you know who is responsible, do the right thing and tell us so they can be arrested and face up to their selfish actions.”

The break-ins happened between Friday July 1 and Saturday July 2.

Anyone with information can contact police at Pitsea on 0300 3334444.