MEMBERS of a Yeadon church are furious after thousands of pounds worth of slates were stripped from the roof in an overnight raid.

For the second time in a week, thieves returned to almost entirely strip the roof of St Andrew's Church in Haw Lane, and now church members fear the thieves will return to finish the job off.

The church has also suffered repeated vandal attacks to the church hall during the summer when doors and windows were smashed.

The Vicar, the Reverend Keith Potter, discovered the latest attack when he arrived with others to set up the hall for the annual fundraising autumn fair.

He said it was particularly upsetting for members of the church who only two years ago completed a ten-year appeal to raise £10,000 to repair the roof following an earlier raid.

He said: "The police don't seem to be able to do anything about it.

"There is plenty of evidence around here that this sort of thing is happening and also plenty of evidence that roofs of houses are being repaired, but the police don't seem to be able to do anything.

"Churches have always been easy targets and because of the way the roofs are constructed, the tiles can be easily removed."

Mr Potter said he was hopeful that the cost of replacing the tiles, which he believed would be in the region of £10,000, would be met by the insurers, but that the church was still waiting to hear whether this was the case.

The church is also waiting to hear whether its insurance company will pay for two vandalism attacks carried out during the summer on the church hall.

"The hall has also been vandalised twice," Mr Potter told the Wharfedale Observer.

"It was repaired on the Monday and vandalised again on the Friday. There is a large picture window at the front that was smashed and on the second time they actually used a battering ram to smash through the main door," he said.

Empty lighter fuel canisters were left in the hall following the attacks which it is believed were abandoned by those responsible.

Mr Potter said: "Everything suggests that these jobs are being done to order.

"The tiles on the roof are specially made and are graded from the apex of the roof to the edges and can only be used on a similar size roof."

Now, part of the church roof is covered with a tarpaulin, and it is feared thieves will return to take the rest of the tiles.

Steve Maw, a member of the church, said the mood was of great sadness and disgust.

"The church is struggling anyway to keep the buildings maintained and to encourage more people to come to the church," he added.

"It had taken nearly ten years to raise the money to repair the roof and now we find that someone has undone all the hard work in two nights.

"There's still some left and I suspect they will be back until they've all gone."

l What do you think of the latest stone theft to hit Aireborough? Write to Wharfedale Observer, 9 Orchard Gate, Otley LS21 3NX.