As members of the congregation at St Mary and St Peter in Tidenham arrived for church on Sunday they had a surprise. The front door locks had been superglued. The vicar and congregation were locked out.
Undaunted, they held the service outside in the sunshine.
The organist said, “We worshipped together with great gusto and joy. The singing was better than ever and the mini sermon, about sticking together, went down very well.”
The Revd David Treharne said: “It has been a wonderful reminder that the church is the people not the building. It brought us together in a way we will always remember.”
It was also a special day for the vicar who was celebrating his fiftieth birthday. The congregation enjoyed chocolate cake together and all agreed that outdoor services are surprisingly wonderful.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information about it is asked to contact Gloucestershire Constabulary on 101, or visit www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/soh/seen-or-heard quoting incident number 190 of 11 June.