A church was subject to a "hate crime" after a statue was vandalised, according to an archaeologist at the scene in Cambridgeshire.

The attack on All Saints in Haslingfield saw the head of a statue chopped off and stolen.

Archaeologist Professor Norman Hammond photographed the damage. He described the attack as a "hate crime directed at the church", according to the BBC. A church collection box was also broken into but was found empty, said Hammond.

The archaeologist also labelled the vandalism as a "crime against our heritage".

It is believed the damage was done between the 10 and 24 April and was reported on Sunday, according to the Cambridge News.

Local police have issued an appeal for information and put churches on alert.

A police spokeswoman said: "Patrols are being increased in the area and we urge residents to report any suspicious activity to police."

The monument was a memorial to the dead and is believed to have been created by William Wright, a Jacobean tomb maker from Charing Cross in London. It was commissioned to specifically commemorate Thomas Wendy's death in 1612, according to BBC.

The Wendy family were prominent at the time. Thomas Wendy's uncle, Dr Thomas Wendy was a doctor to Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.