A rector has welcomed the conviction of a man in connection with the theft of a treasured carved wooden eagle from a Yelverton church.

Thomas Brumby, 49, of Plymouth, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, July 23.

This follows the theft of a 100-year-old wooden eagle from St Paul’s Church in May 2025.

The hand-carved eagle-shaped lectern was sawn off its pedestal and taken, leading to a search for the statue and the thief.

The eagle was found a few days later following an anonymous phone call about its whereabouts and the damage was restored by a specialist.

Brumby was arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage shortly afterwards.

Now convicted of handling stolen goods, he will be sentenced later this year.

The rector, the Rev Andrew Thomas has welcomed resolution of the case, saying: “Our whole church community was shocked and deeply saddened by the damage and theft of a valuable and significant piece of our church furniture. We are pleased that a charge has been authorised and recompense is being made.”

Immediately after the theft, with support from the Tavistock neighbourhood policing team, the rector issued a social media appeal and police carried out enquiries in the local community, resulting in two witnesses coming forward.

Sergeant Tom Ottley said: “We’re pleased the efforts of the neighbourhood policing team in Tavistock have led to a charge and that the eagle has been rightfully returned to St Paul’s Church.

“I would like to thank the people of Yelverton for their support, this wouldn’t have been possible without the information they provided to us.

“I hope that this outcome offers reassurance to the local community and sends a clear message that criminal activity that threatens our valuable history will not be tolerated.”

In 2025, a total of 109 crimes were recorded at churches and religious buildings in Devon and Cornwall, comprising 60 thefts, 26 reports of criminal damage and 23 reports of violence.

Rural Affairs Sergeant Julian Fry, the force lead for heritage crime, said: “Heritage crime causes serious, often irreversible harm to our churches, scheduled monuments and sites of historic interest. Once that history is gone, it’s gone forever.

He added: “Thankfully, as a result of proactive policing and support from the people of Yelverton, the 100-year-old eagle was recovered and has been restored to its former glory and returned to the church.

“It is important that we continue to raise awareness of heritage crime and I would like to encourage anyone who spots suspicious activity at a church or a heritage site to report it to police, no matter how minor it may seem.”

At the time of the theft, the Rev Thomas spoke of feeling a mixture of anger, frustration and sadness.

The thief d sawed through the lectern to remove the eagle, leaving sawdust on the carpet and cracking the lectern close to the eagle.

There were sightings of a man with a wooden eagle under his arm, in Horrabridge and Tavistock, in the following days.

The eagle is the ancient symbol of St John, one of the original 12 apostles and disciples of Christ. Its use on the lectern is symbolic, as it is used to evangelise and proclaim the story of salvation.