A man set fire to a nativity scene in a church in Burscheid (photo above). Witnesses were able to extinguish the figure with holy water and stop the perpetrator. Witnesses entered the church on the street Höhestraße yesterday at about 5:25 pm. They noticed a man in front of the holy water basin and opposite him a burning crib figure. Immediately one of the witnesses took water from the holy water basin with his hands and extinguished the fire in the nativity scene. When the man tried to escape, the witnesses prevented him from doing so and informed the police. The 39-year-old was heavily intoxicated. A voluntary breath alcohol test showed a value of 1.6 per thousand. The man claimed to have come to church only to pray and to light a candle. To further avert any hazards, the man was taken into temporary custody and released the next morning after sobering up. 

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