A precious ancient font stolen from a tiny village church has been safely recovered after narrowly escaping conversion into a sundial.

Parishioners of St Peter's Church in Little Warley feared their marble font, which dates back to the times of Oliver Cromwell, was lost forever when it was stolen in a sneak raid.

But their prayers were answered thanks to a Brentwood resident, an antique dealer... and Essex Chronicle sister paper the Brentwood Gazette.

A Brentwood-based company had offered a £100,000 reward for the safe return of the font and other artifacts plundered in the raid.

Antique dealer Richard Barker, who runs Haybarn Antiques at the Battlesbridge Centre, near Wickford, Essex, bought the font in good faith from a man claiming to be a landscape gardener.

Experts believe the religious piece, which is valued at £30,000 could have been worth in excess of £100,000 to a specialist overseas collector.

Mr Barker said: "I liked the stand. I paid him £125. I was going to turn it into a sundial."

The 36-year-old former plasterer from Rayleigh left the font on display in his shop where it was spotted by eagle-eyed Brentwood resident who had read the Gazette's front page coverage of the burglary in early February.

Mr Barker said: "He told me he thought it looked the same as the stolen font in the paper. So I came to Brentwood Library and had a good look at the photo in the Gazette. Then I phoned the police."

The font is now in safe keeping a South Woodham Ferrers police station and could be restored to its rightful place in St Peter's Church within a month once new security measures have been taken.

Police have issued a description of the man who sold the font on Sunday, February 17. He is described as white, of medium build, about five ft 10 ins with short, light brown ginger hair. He was wearing glasses and drove a white Ford Escort van.

Other precious artifacts stolen in the raid have still to be recovered and police are appealing for people to be on the lookout.

Anyone with information should call Brentwood police on 01277 262212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Published Tuesday, April 9, 2002