A mean thief who stole copper from the roof of an ancient village church and caused damage has been jailed for three years.

Steven Childs, of Heron Way, Lower Stoke, denied theft and going equipped for theft, but was convicted by a jury.

Maidstone Crown Court heard police went to 12th century St Werburgh Church in Hoo in the early hours of November 23 2011 and found a pile of copper roofing sheets in the churchyard.

Mary Jacobson, prosecuting, said the copper had been stripped from a lower roof and piled up ready to be taken away.

"It was folded up and left in carryable bundles," she said. "Copper is a valuable metal. The damage to the roof was estimated to be in the region of £40,000."

Miss Jacobson said officers arrived with a police dog at about 4am and tracked the thief over a bridge. Somebody, she said, had waded through the stream.

The dog took the officers to Whitehouse Road, about 200 meters from the church, and found Childs, 24, in the driver's seat of a car.

He claimed he had argued with his partner and was sleeping in the car. But an officer saw Childs had wet grass and mud on his trainers.

Steven Childs stole lead from St Werburgh Church

In the footwell of the passenger seat were woollen gloves and a balaclava. Another pair of gloves and two walkie talkie radios were on the back seat.

Footprints on the copper sheeting were found to match Childs' left trainer.

When arrested, he answered no comment, except to claim the police dog tracked him because it could smell cannabis.

"He had no explanation to give because he had stolen the copper from the roof with the assistance of someone else," said Miss Jacobson.

Childs was said to suffer from "autism spectrum disorder".