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Church of England moves precious items to Tower of London to prevent theft

by Tola Mbakwe

The Church of England has transferred millions of pounds worth of its special belongings to the Tower of London.

According to The Telegraph, the Church did so to prevent thieves from taking advantage of empty churches during the UK coronavirus lockdown.

Items such as “rare and unusual silver”, paintings, and artefacts from 400 churches in London now have a temporary home at the Tower of London. The valuables are known as the church plate and have been moved over the past few weeks.

A spokesman from the Diocese of London said: “The focus of the operation has about preserving and protecting heritage, as London's priests and churches act as stewards of so much of the capital's rich history.

“The Diocese of London's Parish Property Support Team worked with an independent conservator over several days to ensure that everything was properly logged before being packed carefully into crates and transported via a number of vehicles, before being taken to secure locations.”

The spokesman added that some of the items are so rare they cannot be fully valued.

“Even London's priests do not know the exact locations where items from their churches are being housed for safe-keeping,” the spokesman added.

The Tower of London has been known to keep precious items throughout World War I and World War II because of its robust security.

It’s been reported the church plate at St Paul's Cathedral will remain because of the building’s extensive security system.

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