THIEVES stripped £20,000 worth of lead from a church roof in Wakefield last week. They accessed the roof of St Pauls Church in Alverthorpe last Tuesday night using ladders and removed the valuable metal. They took around 75 per cent of the church’s lead, which stops rainwater from getting into the main building.

The metal, which is attracting thieves across the whole country due to its high value, was stripped from along the side of the parapet. A temporary roof felt has been laid, but the church Reverend fears it will only last for a few weeks and fundraising will be required in order to pay for a permanent replacement.

Police were alerted to the theft on Wednesday morning at 7.30am when a passer-by noticed the ladders propped up against the church on St Pauls Drive. Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with any information to contact them.