“Soul-destroying” £10,000 lead theft leaves heritage railway facing £20,000 damage
Police have launched an appeal after thieves stole thousands of pounds worth of lead from a heritage railway building in North Yorkshire.
At 8.50pm on Friday (Jan 23), police responded to reports of a theft at a heritage railway building in North Yorkshire.
Officers were told that two men had stolen around £10,000 worth of lead from a building on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in Pickering.
The suspects are believed to have arrived at the site in a white car, thought to be a VW Tiguan, before scaling a gate and climbing onto the roof of the building.
Police said the men removed lead from the roof, causing at least £20,000 worth of damage in the process, before making off towards Scarborough on the A170.
North Yorkshire Moors railway CEO Laura Strangeway said: “Volunteers and staff at North Yorkshire Moors Railway are very saddened that these individuals have chosen to steal from a charity such as ours.
“We work very hard to bring our heritage railway to life for thousands of families who visit us each year and our volunteers give their time for free to make a magical day out for everyone.
“At a time when we have a cost-of-living crisis, it's soul-destroying to have to try and rectify the damage these individuals have caused to our beloved Pickering station's roof.”
Officers have released images as part of their investigation and are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time, or who may have seen the vehicle or captured relevant footage, to come forward.
A spokesperson for BTP said: “If you have information that could help detectives, please text BTP on 61016, or call 0800 40 50 40, using the reference 2600008502.
“Information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”