A priest was woken in the early hours of this morning by a burglar armed with a hatchet.
St Vincent de Paul Church and the parochial house on the Ligoniel Road in Belfast were broken into at around 2am this morning (Monday, October 1).
As the priest looked out the bedroom window, he saw the burglar fleeing from the house.
Several sets of keys were taken, as well as a sum of cash. A hatchet and shovel were recovered from the scene.
This man was described as being stocky or possibly wearing a heavily padded jacket. He also had a limp and was dressed in dark clothing. He was seen calling to a small, thin, dark-coloured dog which followed him up the Ligoniel Road.
No-one was injured in the incident. A number of rooms in the property were entered. No items in them were disturbed, police say.
Sergeant Greg Dawson is appealing to anyone who saw suspicious activity in the Ligoniel Road area between 1.30am and 2.00am this morning to get in touch with police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 67 of 1/10/18.
Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.