A VICAR fears devil worshippers may be targeting churches in Ryedale in order to steal consecrated items for use in Black Masses.

The Reverend Bill Ankers, who was collated as Vicar of Norton on July 1, spoke out after the discovery of an attempted break-in at St Peter's Church.

It came only days after a burglar left a trail of damage by smashing open three doors to gain entry to the vicar's room within the vestry in St Michael's Church in Malton Market Place. The offence took place while the main part of the church was open to the public last Friday afternoon.

Mr Ankers, a former dealer principal at Haws Garage in Lowther Street, York, said someone tried to force open a brass padlock on thegates of St Peter's overnight on Thursday.

The padlock held firm, but it was so badly damaged a new one had to be fitted. "It seems obvious that the churches are being targeted. One possibility is that it's mindless vandalism by kids, but the other is more sinister because there are consecrated items in churches."It smacks of black magic or witchcraft - they want these consecrated items for a Black Mass."

Mr Ankers said: "I believe police have a list of covens in Ryedale."

"A few years ago, one or two churches in Ryedale were broken into and inverted crosses were found on the altars. That suggested the intruders had been having Black Masses in the churches."

Mr Ankers said: "We had a break-in last Friday night in the church hut. The only things taken were two footballs, so we suspect that was children."

In December, 1993, the then Rector of Settrington, the Reverend John Dawson, claimed Satanists may have stolen a centuries-old 2ft tall brass cross from the altar of St Mary's Church at Wharram-le-Street during the third break-in that year.

A spokesman at Malton police station said he was unable to comment on Mr Ankers' claims that black magic covens were known to be operating in Ryedale.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.