Only two people were charged last year in connection with Yorkshire stone thefts in Bradford – despite more than 100 incidents being recorded, it has been revealed.

But the numbers of such thefts is dropping year-on-year in the district, West Yorkshire Police has disclosed in response to a request by the Telegraph & Argus using the Freedom of Information Act .

In 2011, 116 Yorkshire stone thefts were recorded, with two people charged, two cautions given and one penalty notice issued. The total amount of such thefts has more than halved from 343 in 2009.

Police have said once stone is stolen it is difficult to identify, and officers were trying to tackle the problem by educating people on security measures and working with builders and stone merchants to remove the demand for illegally obtained stone.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark McManus, of Bradford South Police, said: “The theft of Yorkshire stone has continued to reduce year-on-year across the Bradford district. Crime prevention advice provided to commercial and residential premises has helped to bring about this drop. However, the market for this material is also a factor.

“It is extremely difficult to identify stone once stolen and we have therefore paid particular focus on educating people around security measures.

“We are acutely aware of the significant environmental impact of such offences, not to mention the effect on sites of particular historical importance.

“The police in Bradford are dedicated to tackling this problem and local officers are working with builders and stone merchants in order to monitor transactions. By removing the demand, we can impact upon the supply and further curtail these thefts.”

He said thieves might give the impression they are legitimate workmen and urged anyone who sees people removing stone walls, flags or tiles to contact police.

Councillor Michael Ellis (Con, Bingley Rural) called for a Government crackdown on stone thieves after a historic path in his ward was ripped up earlier this year.

He said he recognised the amount of people charged with such thefts in Bradford was low, but he understood the difficulties police faced in tracing stone after it has been taken. “The answer, in my opinion, is to step up and try to put some sort of control over the dealers that are taking the stolen property,” he said. “A lot of them don’t ask any questions and these are the people really that need targeting. People that steal it, if they had nowhere to take it, they wouldn’t steal it.”

In January, thieves stripped Yorkshire stone flags from Grade I listed Bolling Hall in Bradford. Two tonnes of stone, valued at £6,000, were believed to have been removed from the museum by a gang using a lorry. Police are continuing to appeal for information about the theft. Anyone who can help should call officers on 101.