A mystery of missing flowers is puzzling parishioners who worship at the oldest wooden church in the world.

The blooms vanished from 11th Century St Andrew's Church at Greensted near Ongar, at the weekend.

The disappearance left officials scratching their heads and 95-year-old flower arranger Kath Carmichael upset.

Mrs Carmichael, who has been arranging flowers at the church for more than 50 years, said: "I'm very angry that someone could take away the blooms like this.

''I'd spent a lot of time arranging flowers from my garden, such as lilac and lupins and greenery, into two large pedestals and on the font. When we arrived for church on Sunday they had gone."

But Mrs Carmichael, who lives at Boarded Barns Farm on the Fyfield Road, has not been put off by the experience.

She said: "I intend to continue doing the flowers. The Lord's been good to me and I have to decorate His house."

The rector, the Rev Tom Gardiner, said: "It's a real mystery. Nothing like this has happened in the 11 years I have been here. There were no signs of vandalism and no mess. It was a clean job.

"Our church, which is also the oldest standing wooden building in Europe, attracts many people and we leave it unlocked during daylight hours. Contributions from visitors add to our income."

Pc Chris Caten, co-ordinator of Church Watch, the police initiative to protect country churches in the Ongar and North Weald district, said: "It's very difficult to stop this sort of thing happening in rural areas.

''No one wants churches locked up. It's up to residents to keep an eye out for anyone acting suspiciously and to report them."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.