THIS is the ‘family’ police are trying to trace over the theft of a two-foot Virgin Mary statue from a hospital.

Officers have released CCTV footage of the three people they are looking for in connection with the theft from Royal Blackburn Hospital earlier this month.

The images show a boy around 12 years old, a woman in her mid to late 30s and a man.

Officers have described the theft as a ‘despicable, tasteless’ crime which has ‘some degree of pre-meditation.’ The statue was screwed into place in the Haslingden Road Hospital’s chapel and stolen on September 18 around midday.

Officers leading the investigation said that the statue was carried through and out of the hospital wrapped in a shawl.

PC Gary Hennighan said: "This is yet another despicable, tasteless crime where people are showing no respect to others or their property.

"The fact that they have used a screwdriver to remove the statue shows some degree of pre-meditation.

"The CCTV images are very strong and I am confident that somebody will know these people.

"I urge anyone with any information to contact Lancashire Constabulary so we can bring them to justice.”

The hospital has since replaced the item after a lay Catholic volunteer donated a statue.

The boy was wearing a flat cap, yellow T-shirt and blue jeans, the woman was in her mid to late 30s around 5ft 5in tall with dark hair, a plump build, wearing a white and grey striped jacket and dark trousers.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0845 1 25 35 45 to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.