Thief asked to return condolence book

A thief who stole a book of condolence dedicated to Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells was today told he could hand it in at any church with no questions asked.

The Diocese of Birmingham appealed to the thief to return the loose-leaf folder - one of five laid out at the city’s Anglican Cathedral for visitors to offer messages of support to the families of the two dead Cambridgeshire schoolgirls.

The diocese has decided to extend the timetable for signing the remaining four books in light of Saturday’s theft and in the hope that the stolen volume is returned.

A spokesman for the diocese said: "What we are asking is whoever took the book to return it to any church - we reckon it will get back to us.

"If the thief doesn’t feel he or she can bring it back to the Cathedral, drop it off at any church. We are not interested in finding out who did it or recriminations, we just want the book back."

The five books were due to be closed yesterday after a week in which thousands of people poured through the Cathedral doors to sign the books, as well as leave bouquets of flowers, toys and other donations.

The collection is due to be bound into one volume with the inscription "From the people of Birmingham" and dispatched to the Vicar of Soham, for him to pass on to Jessica and Holly’s parents.

However, the remaining four books will now stay open for most of the week, while the Cathedral begins a process of "winding down" public mourning in keeping with requests to let the 10-year-olds’ parents and the residents of Soham grieve in private.

"We are obviously taking our lead from what is happening in Soham," the spokesman added.

"The opportunity will still be there at the Cathedral to sign the books and we are looking at closing them on Friday before the memorial service at Ely Cathedral."