Human skulls stolen from church crypt

Thieves took 21 human skulls from a church crypt display of what is thought to be the largest collection of its kind in Britain.

The remains, believed to be around 700 years old, were taken from St Leonard’s Church, Hythe, Kent, sometime between 4pm on Sunday and 10.40am on Monday, police said.

Reverend Andrew Sweeney branded the crime “shocking and unsettling”, adding: “Each skull represents the remains of a human being who deserves to rest in peace.”

A lock on a church door was damaged during the theft, police said.