A break-in at a church in Chilcote is being treated as a 'Heritage Crime'.

Damage was caused at St Matthews Church and police are treating it as 'any offence which harms the value of England's heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations'.

Police say that can include offences like lead theft from churches, damage to ancient monuments and illegal metal detecting.

PC Emma Holmes from the North West Leicestershire Rural Crime Team along with PC Rich Watson Reverend Grice from the church this week.

A post on the North West Leicestershire Police Facebook page reads: "After reviewing the damage, officers were able to carry out a church security risk assessment and discuss possible changes to the security to deter future incidents of a similar nature.

"It's really important that those who live within the surrounding communities of our churches/places of worship and other heritage assets keep an eye out and report any suspicious activity so that we can then look to keep these assets in their best condition for years to come.

"If you feel that your church/place of worship is vulnerable, please don't hesitate to make contact with us and we can then look to provide support and go through a security assessment."