A reverend has been left dumbfounded after a statue donated by a church-goer was swiped from outside the chapel.

Police are appealing for information after the 20in statue of St Francis was swiped from outside Hickey’s Almshouses in Sheen Road, Richmond.

The statue was last seen by a passerby at 9am on Saturday, April 12, but by the next day it had gone.

Mounted on post, the statue was donated to the church by a resident and had been on display for two months before it was pinched.

Rev Chris Scott said: “It is not of huge commercial value but it belonged to one of our residents, a clergy widow, and the family donated it to us so it has got a lot of value to us from that point of view.

“It could just turn up somewhere and hopefully somebody will recognise it.

“It never occurred to me when we put it up outside the church that somebody would take it.”

Anyone who saw anything or knows the whereabouts of the statue should contact Richmond police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.