BURGLARS received jail sentences after they raided a town dentist's forcing it to close and leaving patients in agony.

They raided High Street Dental Practice in Evesham leaving 15 emergency patients having to wait an extra day for treatment, some of them in excruciating pain - they were later arrested after being caught burgling a church.

Matthew Schramm and James Yarwood were arrested by police response officers inside St Mary and St Egwin, High Street, Evesham after West Mercia Police was alerted by a member of church staff on December 29.

A spokesman for the dental practice, which closed for the day while the damage was cleared and police forensic teams swept the practice for evidence, said: "Because the burglary happened between Christmas and New Year we were seeing emergency patients only. It was people who were genuinely in pain. You could see that. It is the patients that were affected."

He estimates the damage cost the practice around £2,5000 but stressed the main impact was upon the patients.

Schramm, aged 35, of Cheltenham Road, Evesham, was jailed for 18 months – eight months for each burglary and two months for failing to provide a sample for drugs analysis when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday.

Yarwood, aged 35, of Watsons Lane, Evesham, received a 16 month prison sentence suspended for two years.

The burglars caused around £3,500 damage during the burglaries and stole cash, expensive tubes of toothpaste and tools including cordless drill from the dental practice, much of which police managed to recover nearby.

They did not steal anything from the church.

DI Stuart Murphy of West Mercia’s Priority CID said: “It was a very quick, prompt response from our teams. Six officers attended and both men were apprehended inside the church. One of the defendants – Yarwood – was hiding inside a cupboard.

“This highlights the fact that if anyone has any suspicions, please ring it in to the police. This shows we will act promptly. This was a despicable crime. Burglary is bad enough but this is a church."

The burglary at the dental practice was reported before 9am that morning by staff going to work and the culprits were captured on CCTV.

They had broken in through a back window and ransacked drawers during an untidy search.