Yorkshire stone theft sees police seize van and arrest two men

A member of the public called the police who attended and found two men stealing the valuable Yorkshire stone slabs and loading them into a van on Pear Street in Halifax.

The van was then stopped on Gibbet Street and the two men were arrested.

The van was seized and taken to a compound while the investigation is carried out.

Yorkshire stone can fetch as much as £50 to £85 per square yard, which has made it a target of thieves in recent years.

In 2016, several stones across Leeds were sprayed with unique ID tags which are invisible under normal light. This means that stolen flagstones can be traced by police and those handling or selling them can potentially be prosecuted for theft or handling stolen goods.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "Calderdale response officers attended reports of two males stealing Yorkshire stone paving slabs and loading them into the back of a van on Pear Street, Halifax.

"The van was stopped on Gibbet Street and the two males arrested. The van was seized and taken to a compound whilst the investigation continues. Thank you to the local community who assisted the police with up to date sightings of the suspect van which led to it being located."