A CURATE'S stolen car is thought to have been used during one of two night-time raids on South Devon College in Paignton.

The Rev Paul Bryce, who is attached to Christ Church in Torquay Road, Paignton, thinks professional thieves may have been behind the attack in which his 'hot' Volvo 850 was implicated.

He said: "The Bible says we all do wrong things. That's what Christ came to save us from.

"In this case the people who stole my car were not amateurs. I think they were professionals from the accounts I've heard from the police."

His car was stolen from the Paignton vicarage overnight on September 28 to 29.

Just 24 hours later the college suffered its second break-in in three days, just after 10pm on the Tuesday night.

During the first raid, on the previous Saturday evening, about £700 of goods were snatched from a common room area, including an X360 and Nintendo Wii together with games.

Minutes after the second burglary a group of young men were seen dumping a quantity of goods into bushes in Clovelly Rise, Paignton.

The car being used was the stolen Volvo which the day after, on October 1, was found abandoned in Blatchcombe Road.

The items recovered from the bushes were the contents of a handbag stolen from the college.

They included four lighters, a Nokia phone charger, a heart-shaped earring, a metal chain, a pink eye pencil, a silver hair grip and a pink hairbrush.

Det Con Joe Mathews, of Paignton CID, is anxious to hear from anyone who may have seen the curate's Volvo between the early hours of Monday morning last week and just before 8pm on the Wednesday.

Police have also issued CCTV images of intruders caught prowling around the college premises on the nights of the raids.

Anyone recognising the figures should contact DC Mathews on 08452 777444, quoting crime FP/08/3377. They can also use the confidential Crimestoppers number of 0800 555111.

Mr Bryce said his Volvo is now with the insurer's garage in Plymouth.

The keys have not been found, but it's thought the silver car (N263 KWX) did not suffer any major damage.