Theft of lead from local Church roof

I was sad to receive a message on Tuesday 10th September triaged from the local Police community coordiinator concerning the theft of lead from the Church roof in Bratton. The theft happened sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning. The estimated expenditure to replace the lead is going to run into many tens of thousands of pounds and residents are understandably angry.

Building conservation have a section dedicated to protecting Lead Roofs from theft on their web site.

Most people are aware that the theft of lead and other metals is rising dramatically in response to a similar rise in the value of scrap. Indeed, metal theft is the fastest growing crime in the UK. This rise is driven by strong consumption from emerging markets.