Stolen eagle lectern returned to Shenstone church after businessman offered reward

Aug 12, 2023

A distinctive lectern stolen from a Shenstone church has been returned safely.

The brass item, featuring a large eagle, was taken from St John the Baptist Church earlier this month.

A campaign to find the lectern was launched, with scrap dealer Russell Taroni offering a £1,000 reward for its return and appealing through his network in case it turned up.

The offer paid off, after a fellow dealer arranged for the item to be returned.

Shenstone Parish Council’s clerk, Shirley O’Mara, said:

“While not worth a fortune in monetary value, the lectern is of great historical and emotional worth to the church and the village.

“Huge thanks are extended to Mr Taroni for his immense generosity and for his time and effort in collecting and returning the lectern to us.”

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