theft M
etal thefts are back in the headlines,with organised gangs once again threatening the architectural heritage of churches and
historic buildings around the country. One specialist heritage insurance
firm, Ecclesiastical, reports that more than 1,300 claims totalling nearly £2.4m were made by churches in the first six months of this year alone. Rates of metal theft were also high in 2010, the company says,with 1,700 individual claims made, amounting to nearly £3m. However, Ecclesiastical warns that
2011 is set to be a record year for historic buildingmetal theft. Spokeswoman Katri Link says the incidence of theft is nowthe same as during the “epidemics” of 2007 and 2008, when claims reached more than £10m. “Wewould like to urge all our churches and communities around them to be extremely vigilant and put security measures in place, if they haven’t done already,” she says. As in 2007-08, lead roofing, copper
pipes, lightning conductors and antique statues are all targets. But in the latest spate, gangs are now even stripping copper fromthemobile phonemasts which some churches have allowed telecommunications firms such as O2 and Virgin to install on their roofs or towers in return for payment. The issue is affecting churches and
historic buildings countrywide. Police in Dorset are dealingwith around 15 lead thefts amonth. The town of Rochdale, in Lancashire, was hit by 26 reported cases in February, and in Edinburgh’s NewTown andWest End, criminals have been stealing antique brass letter boxes, name plates and door knockers along with large kick plates fromdoors. Stolen period fixtures are believed to
be fetching around £200 apiece, if bought by unscrupulous or gullible collectors and dealers, but not much less if they are melted down for their scrap
value.Melted down, there is almost no chance of the items being traced.
EVENa relatively small haul of copper or lead can net thieves £500 on the black market. Criminal damage can be expensive to repair–bills of up to £50,000 have been recorded recently. This April, thieves stole copper gas
pipes fromHoly Trinity Church, Darlington. The theft caused a gas leak and turned the building into a potential death-trap. In March, £22,000worth of lead vanished from Trinity Church in Hamilton, leaving a huge repair bill.
Ore and order
Three years ago, a wave of thefts ofmetalwork from historic buildings of all kinds came to an abrupt end. Now we are in the middle of a renewed assault on architectural lead, copper, brass and iron more damaging than ever. Sophie Goodchild reports Metal theft is not a newproblem for
DURING THE EPIDEMICS OF 2007 AND 2008’
METAL THEFT… THE INCIDENCE IS NOW THE SAME AS
‘2011 IS SET TO BE A RECORD YEAR FOR HISTORIC BUILDING
the 21st century. In the early 1980s, churcheswere targeted as the economic slump began to bite and unemployment soared.Outbreaks have been recorded throughout the 20th century. All Saints Church inWoodchurch,
Kent, suffered five thefts last year, losses which caused extensive water damage. St Helen’s Church in Waddington, Lancashire, has been hit four times. In the latest incident, over the Spring BankHoliday, thieves stole £3,000- worth of 3ft wide lead sheeting, lead roofing panels and guttering, leaving a gaping hole in roof of a church which dates back to 1435. Hilda Tomlinson, churchwarden for nine years, describes the damage as “heart-breaking”. “We’ve been targeted every year for
Top, police search a scrapyard for stolen metalwork. Chances of conviction are remote
the past three years. It happened at night and they’re getting farmore professional. When they first took it, the lead was badly torn. Now it’s carefully cut. The lead is right up to the roadside, there are houses all around–it’s not like we’re in the middle of nowhere.”
St Helen’s is insuredwith Ecclesiastical, which caps claims at £10,000 in a single year–£5,000 for the replacement lead, and £5,000 for repairs. The limit placed on insurance claims means that churches targeted multiple times could struggle to find the additional money needed to cover repairs.
THE soaring cost of metal makes lead and copper theft a hugely lucrative crime. Copper is fetching around $9,000 (£6,000) a ton comparedwith just $3,000 a few years ago. Lead is currently selling for more than $2,500 (£1,500) a ton. The booming economies of China and South America,which need an apparently endless supply for construction and new technology projects, have pushed up demand. Paul Settles, from trend analysts CRU, says metal theft is a global problem. Settles told “Cornerstone”: “What’s
happening here [in theUK] is happening globally with copper theft. It’s down to economics: there’s not enough supply. Last year, China sawa 100 per cent
Cornerstone, Vol 32, No 3 2011 53
SIMON BARBER
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