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Pensioner's car broken into as she attends Mass in Belfast

The break-in happened at the car park in St Paul's Church on the Falls Road in west Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann
The break-in happened at the car park in St Paul's Church on the Falls Road in west Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann The break-in happened at the car park in St Paul's Church on the Falls Road in west Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann

A PENSIONER has had her car broken into and items stolen while she was attending Mass in Belfast.

The vehicle was attacked in the car park of St Paul's Parish Church on the Falls Road in west Belfast at around 6.55pm on Saturday.

In a Facebook post, the PSNI wrote: "An orange coloured Jeep Renegade was broken into at approximately 6:55pm this evening while the elderly owner was attending Mass, shocking to think someone out there thinks this is acceptable.

"A floral handbag with a navy and white purse inside, a gold iPhone 5 in a pink case, a sum of cash and personal items were stolen after the thief smashed the back window of the car and bravely ran away."

Last year Mass-goers in Co Tyrone were targeted four times in a week by thieves, including on one occasion as a priest was issuing a warning about the break-ins during Mass.

Cars were broken into during Masses in Trillick, Aughnacloy, Carrickmore and Dromore.

The spate of attacks led Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff to ask whether "we need a community patrol in rural Tyrone while people are at Mass".

Police have appealed to anyone with information to contact officers on 101.