A figure of the Baby Jesus has been taken after glass covering a nativity scene outside Perth’s St John’s Kirk was smashed open.
A delivery driver noticed at 10.35am on Thursday that the statue was missing from the display.
The church confirmed that the perspex screen had been broken on Christmas Eve, but nothing was taken at that time.
Bill Wilson, St John’s Kirk clerk, called for the thief to “do the right thing” and return the baby.
Perth church calls for thief to ‘do the right thing’ after baby Jesus taken
He said: “This is sadly the second time that the Baby Jesus has been stolen from the nativity scene placed outside St John’s Kirk by the council, as it happened a few years ago.
“It seems such an unkind thing to do when the nativity scene is there to remind us all, especially children, why we celebrate Christmas.
“Amazingly, God came as a human baby to be amongst us so that we could relate to him.
“Last time the baby was returned quite soon.
“I hope that happens again this time and we appeal to whoever did this to do the right thing.”
‘Do we have to have iron bars on a nativity scene?’
Willie White, 68, was making a delivery for Willows restaurant when he noticed the nativity’s covering had been broken and the statue missing.
He said: “My initial thought was ‘Why can’t people just leave things alone?’
“This has happened a couple of times before and that is why there is a perspex screen now.
“Do we have to have iron bars on a nativity scene?
“It was a feeling of ‘not again’.
“It is a shame with what little Christmas decorations we have in the area.”
In 2016 three teenagers were charged in connection with the theft of a Baby Jesus life-size doll and lamb from the nativity.
The figures were later recovered by police.
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