Golden Jesus Christ statue stolen and smashed by 'drunk British tourist' as police launch investigation

Shocking CCTV footage has captured the moment a man drops and shatters a golden Jesus Christ statue after allegedly stealing it.

It is believed to have been stolen from a nearby 15th-century Shrine of Divine Mercy church in the Old Town of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

In the CCTV footage, the two men, suspected to be "drunk British tourists", are seen laughing as one man approaches the other with the statue.

The man appears intoxicated and unsteady on his feet as he shows the other man, who is sitting on a bench, the large golden statue.

The man is seen lifting the statue up as the second man, sitting on his phone, is seen switching to his camera app.

Appearing to take a photo or video of the man, the suspect struggles to keep his footing as the statue's arms suddenly break off.

The golden figure of Jesus Christ then falls and crashes to the ground, shattering into several small pieces.

The man who was holding the statue freezes in shock with a flabbergasted expression on his face, as the other man also appears shocked.

The pair then quickly flee the scene, leaving the statue's remains on the street.

Almost instantly afterwards, a car drives along the same street, and it can be heard crushing some of the pieces of the statue under its wheels.

The man holding the statue appears to speak English with an English accent.

A statement from the church said: "We look at the broken pieces of the sculpture and we grieve.

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"But we should tremble even more when we realise the truth: this is not just the destruction of the sculpture of the Crucified. This is a sign. Man is still trying to destroy his Creator.

"To crush the One who created him out of love. To silence the One who even prayed on the cross. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Sharing the CCTV on social media, the church’s priest Elijas Anatolijus Markauskas appealed for any information about the incident.

He said: "Dear Vilnius residents and guests of Vilnius, please help the police to identify the person captured who vandalised the statue of Jesus Christ crucified near the Divine Mercy Shrine in Vilnius.

"If you recognise him or have information significant to the investigation, please contact the police by phone +370 700 60 000 or transfer the information through www.epolicija.lt.

"We are especially appealing to the residents of the Old Town and surrounding areas, as well as employees of accommodation facilities, who can help identify this person.Please share this appeal. Thank you for your help."

Local police said in a statement: "On November 11, at about 9pm in Vilnius, Dominikonų St., from the inner courtyard of the church, an unidentified person broke a golden sculpture of Jesus hanging on a wooden cross.

"The damage is being assessed. A pre-trial investigation has been initiated under Article 284 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania."