Church roof 'thieves' allowed to go free
Pastor Dale Morgan
Church roof 'thieves' allowed to go free*
By Paul Stokes
Last Updated: 3:10PM BST 06/06/2008
Three masked men suspected of stripping lead from a village church roof
were allowed to go free because they could have been enjoying the view.
Police responded quickly after churchgoers reported seeing the trio on
Treeton Parish Church, in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
The suspects were caught wearing balaclavas and gloves with rolls of
lead nearby, but officers were unable to prove an offence had been
committed.
Carole Robinson, whose husband Ron is a churchwarden, said: "It was
beyond belief. The police said they could claim they had only gone up to
look at the view. It left people furious.
"We have been plagued with lead thefts."
Thieves have targeted the church, which is mentioned in the Domesday
Book, ten times in as many months at a time of rising lead prices.
Eight five per cent of the roof has been stripped and church officials
need to raise £100,000 for repairs and as much again to repair the tower.
Builders put up scaffolding to replace the roof with stainless steel
sheets, but thieves have used it to get easier access and steal lead
they could not previously reach.
Mrs Robinson said: "It's so frustrating that after so much damage and
trouble, we finally catch men on the roof only for the police to let
them off.
"The police arrived and the men came down. Lead had been removed and
rolled up ready to be carried off.
"But the police said lead was not the kind of material you could get
fingerprints from and they did not have enough evidence to take them to
court because they could not link the men to the lead.
"I just felt totally vulnerable. It seems we are totally helpless and
the law seems to be on the side of the criminals."
Four police officers, including a dog handler, were sent to the church
to investigate reports of people on the roof after a Sunday service.
Chf Ins Jason Harwin, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "When the
officers arrived they spoke with three youths who were on the scaffolding.
"Officers searched all three youths and thoroughly examined the
surrounding area but found no evidence that any offences had been
committed, nor that the youths possessed any articles with which to
commit any offences.
"As a result of this officers had no power to arrest these youths and
they were warned to stay away from the property."