A 4ft-high statue of Christ was stolen from an Oxford churchyard.

Parishioners at St Thomas the Martyr Church, in Becket Street, were devastated when they discovered the figure, depicting Jesus on the cross, had gone missing.

But police believe the figure has not gone far and the church is now appealing for its safe return.

The wooden statue was a gift to the church in 1905 and for the past 100 years has formed part of the Calvary Shrine that stands at the entrance to the churchyard at the west end of St Thomas Street.

But on Friday, April 13, residents in the neighbouring Rowland Hill Court reported a disturbance in the churchyard and the following morning the figure had gone.

Churchwarden Anne Dutton said: "We had a phone call from the police to say there had been a report of damage here. We came down on the Saturday morning and expected to find the figure damaged but it had disappeared."

Mrs Dutton said the wayside crucifix had originated in Oberammergau, Germany, home of the famous Passion Play, and was given to the church by a Mrs Laffan in 1905.

She added: "We would dearly love it back. We have people who have come to St Thomas's all their lives and they are very upset.

"The main priority is to locate the figure. If it has completely vanished we will have to see about replacing it in some way, but if it's not too badly damaged and is just laying somewhere we can repair it and put it back in its rightful place."

Mrs Dutton said several headstones, on the graves of Sisters from the Convent that had stood next to the church until the mid-1950s, had also been badly damaged.

PC Paul Phillips, of Thames Valley Police, said he doubted the figure had gone far, due to its size.

Anyone with information can email Mrs Dutton anne.dutton@hotmail.com or call PC Phillips on 08458 505505.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said a 34-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in connection with the incident at the church and had been detained under the Mental Health Act.