Thieves have stolen large quantities of lead from 13th century St Mary’s the Virgin church, Doddington near March.

The church was targeted in the early hours of Tuesday and initial inspections show that around half of the lead on the south aisle and porch roof was taken.

"I believe that around 48 sheets of lead were removed," said one church maintenance worker. "Heavy rain since has caused more damage."

The roof has now been fitted with temporary sheets by installation firm Majestic Heritage.

Police and church warden Eileen Clapham were alerted to the theft on Tuesday by a villager who noticed the lead was missing.

The theft is the latest in a series being investigated by Cambridgeshire police. Recently it was reported that 22 other church roofs across the county had been stripped of some or all of their lead in the past two years.

Rural church crime is on the increase with 224 incidents reported over the past two years.