A statue of Jesus was stolen by thieves who smashed a funeral director's window.

The 2ft marble Son of God was taken from Belmont Funeral Homes where it had been a family heirloom.

Thieves took two other stone statues from the funeral directors in Islingword Road, Brighton.

They crashed a computer monitor through the window before rifling the ornamental window display.

All three statues were worth about £500 each.

Alec Piper, 36, and Lea Mylton-Thorley, 23, are devastated that someone could steal the statues as they are worth more than just the money needed to replace them.

Mr Piper said: "It's a real shock. The statues are made out of marble and quite expensive but it's not the money that has annoyed us.

"They have a huge amount of sentimental value as they have been in the family for more than 20 years."

The couple have been in charge of Belmont since Miss Mylton-Thorley's parents retired ten months ago.

It has been open since for more than a decade and has never been targeted by criminals before.

Mr Piper never expected it to be either.

He said: "The window is covered by our insurance but because of the business we are in we don't have contents insurance. Being a funeral director's, you would think there is not really anything worth stealing.

"The shop has been here since 1990 and it still had the original window since the building was built at the start of the century."

Although the computer monitor used to smash the window on Monday was picked up from a nearby skip, Mr Piper believes the break-in was premeditated.

He said: "It happened at 8.30pm so I think it is a bit early for someone to come along drunk or something. Someone knew they were worth some money and I think they came here purposely to do it.

"We are just racking our brains to try and see who it could be."

Any witnesses or anyone with information on the Jesus theft is asked to contact Brighton and Hove CID on 0845 6070999, quoting serial number 1740 of April 28.