Chelmsley Wood Bishop Attacked

A Mormon bishop remains in an induced coma after he was attacked by robbers as he opened up his Chelmsley Wood church.

The bishop was found by a passer-by who had heard a "loud bang". He was lying in the road near to the church with a serious head injury. It is believed the man had been dragged down the street as he clung on to his car.

Sergeant Sam Price, from Chelmsley Wood police station, said: "We’re working hard to understand what has happened but initial inquiries suggest that the 45-year-old, from Castle Bromwich, had been opening up the Church of Latter Day Saints on Clopton Crescent at around 9am on Sunday when his silver Mazda CX5 Sport was stolen."

He went on to say, "We’ve conducted house to house and identified CCTV cameras in the area which may have captured the robbery,"

The car was recovered a short time later on nearby Starling Grove. It has been seized and taken to a secure location for a detailed forensic examination.

It is not known how many people were involved or whether this was a targeted attack or an opportunistic thief cashing-in on a running car left with the keys in the ignition.