A 14-year-old boy who stood by as his friend raided a Gloucestershire church in search of valuables was rightly convicted of theft, a top judge has ruled.

The youngster stood in the porch of St Lawrence Church, Lechlade, as his friend went in and ripped a key safe from the wall.

The pair had earlier been spotted on CCTV entering the grounds of the 15th Century church in August 2015.

The safe was later found abandoned in the churchyard with various keys, including a 400-year-old key to the vestry, missing.

The raider was never identified, but the 14-year-old appeared before Gloucester Youth Court in May last year.

He was convicted of theft - on the basis that he was involved in a 'joint enterprise' - and handed a nine-month youth rehabilitation order.

His lawyers today challenged the guilty verdict at London's High Court, claiming that he was a mere "bystander" during the raid.

He had simply stood in the porch and there was no evidence that he had "encouraged or assisted" his friend.

But Lord Justice Irwin said the boy's fingerprints had been found on the inside of some envelopes taken from the church.

His explanation for that was "not credible" and he was aware that his friend was "not of the best character".

He stood in the porch, doing nothing, as "the noise of damage and destruction" came from inside, the judge added.

And, although he did not touch the safe himself, he saw the raider leaving with it.

Dismissing the appeal, the judge said there was clear the evidence the boy was part of "a joint enterprise to steal".