Thieves broke into Southwark Cathedral and stole the bishop's ring and four gold chalices

Thieves broke into historic Southwark Cathedral and stole the bishop's ring and four gold chalices. The items have a face value of pounds 16,000 but are said to be "priceless" to the church. Police believe the items may have been stolen to order.

The thieves broke into the cathedral in south London over Sunday night by smashing a Victorian stained glass window in the north choir aisle. They made their way through the vestry and into the part of the building where the items were in a glass display cabinet.

The cabinet was smashed with a fire extinguisher. No alarms were triggered as the burglars left and the theft was not discovered until yesterday morning.

The chalices were made in the 1950s and have an ornate design. The ring is made of gold and had a gold cross on it. It was made in 1905. Mr Mark Smith, one of the cathedral's vergers, said: "The chalices were used on some occasions. We will be able to manage without them. The thieves do not look very professional to me. The window and cabinet were smashed in and there was quite a mess."