Warning after lead theft at St Margaret’s Church, Ilkley (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Warning after lead theft at St Margaret’s Church, Ilkley

5:04pm Thursday 2nd September 2010 in

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A clergyman has joined police in calling for residents to be on their guard for lead thieves who have targeted a church and schools.

Thieves caused thousands of pounds of damage when they pulled lead from the roof of St Margaret’s Church in Ilkley, prompting calls for parishioners and other townspeople to be vigilant.

Burley-in-Wharfedale’s Ghyll Royd School and a Silsden school have also been hit by lead thieves in recent weeks, say police, who are appealing for residents to report any suspicious vehicles seen in the area.

Priest-in-Charge at St Margaret’s, Canon Philip Gray, has called the theft from the church roof a ‘‘... sorry reflection on the morality of some members of our society’’.

He is asking neighbours to help keep an eye on St Margaret’s Church, on Queens Road, after thieves struck at the south aisle roof of the Victorian building late on Friday, August 20, or in the early hours of the following day.

“The robbers made a bit of a mess, although we hope that our insurance will cover us,” he said. “We’ve written to local residents encouraging them to be vigilant and at the moment we’re employing a watch scheme.”

The church has an alarm system to help protect its roof, and in an effort to stop the thieves, which will alert police and private security. The roof has also been marked with SmartWater chemicals, which can be identified if attempts are made to sell the lead.

Police confirmed that there have been a number of lead thefts reported recently, including a theft at the independent Ghyll Royd School in Burley-in-Wharfedale at the end of July.

Inspector Sue Sanderson, of Wharfedale and Craven Neighbour-hood Policing Team, asked residents to help watch out for those responsible following a number of thefts.

She said: “We have seen an increase in lead theft. The main appeal is for people to keep an eye out. We would usually expect anyone stealing lead to be in some kind of vehicle, and we would ask people to keep an eye out for suspicious-looking vehicles and to obtain the registration number.”

Meanwhile, a school in Silsden has had lead stolen, and a church at Gargrave, near Skipton, has been left with a bill of more than £30,000 after thieves struck this week. A church in Guiseley and a school in Yeadon have also had lead stolen from them.

Anyone with information on suspected lead thieves is asked to contact Wharfedale and Craven NPT at Ilkley Police Station on (01274) 475301.