Warning as historic city targeted by lead thieves

North Yorkshire Police officers are investigating a series of 30 thefts of lead from buildings in east York in only the last two months.

The majority of offences have been committed at night, lead and lead flashing being taken from buildings, sheds, porches and other outbuildings.

The soaring price of lead has been blamed for the spike in offences, although a police spokesman confirmed there continued to be reports of other metal thefts across the rest of North Yorkshire.

But he admitted that the scale of the problem in York’s eastern neighbourhoods such as Tang Hall and Heworth had not been witnessed elsewhere in the county.

The thieves have escaped with lead worth about £100 from domestic properties, but raids on larger businesses have seen them collect metal valued in excess of £1,000.

Pc Michael Brocken, who is investigating the thefts, said: “The increasing price of lead has made it a valuable commodity which is making it attractive to thieves.

“They are selling it to scrap dealers and making money depending on the weight and the quality of the metal.

“It is important to ensure that all your buildings are protected from lead thieves, as if any stolen lead goes undetected it can result in water damage which can cost even more to put right than replacing the lead.”

Pc Brocken called on householders and business owners to look to install extra security measures to protect their properties, including the use of closed circuit TV.

He also urged property owners to replace lead on their buildings with cheaper alternatives and trade in the valuable metal themselves to prevent it being stolen.