The recent damage to Saltaire’s historic United Reformed Church shows the gulf that exists between the right-thinking majority and the criminal minority.

Most people would consider any religious building to have special significance, and that damaging or stealing from such an establishment was sacrilegious.

Not so the petty crooks who, untroubled by anything like a conscience, took lead from the mausoleum’s roof – they just saw it as easy pickings.

Equally, most people would simply enjoy being surrounded by beauty such as this unique building, rather than seek to destroy it.

But that sort of appreciation would appear to be beyond these lowlifes who have left it needing many thousands of pounds worth of repairs.

Sadly there are no quick-fixes with regard to eradicating these sorts of anti-social attitudes, and whatever approach is tried, each generation still seems to throw up its fair share of sorry individuals who add nothing while taking as much as they can.

But these crimes could be all but eradicated if the market for stolen goods such as roofing lead was removed.

That means tackling the scrap industry’s bad apples who do not seem too bothered about ascertaining the provenance of such materials before buying them.

If the industry itself can do this, all well and good. If not, then it must be made to change – through tighter rules, closer scrutiny and tougher penalties.