THIEVES are growing bolder, and robbing churches in broad daylight.New insurance figures suggest that last year theft and malicious damage hit one in every four churches in England. Thefts of lead from church buildings trebled, and nearly ten times more copper was stolen than in 2005, as metal prices soared.
The Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, which compiled the figures, recommends that neighbours check with the church if they spot unexplained activity. The group’s spokesman, Brian King, said on Tuesday that among the thefts last year was a full-size statue of a horse and rider from a church in Somerset.
“Some people probably saw the thieves sawing off the legs. . . No doubt they thought the thieves were genuine contractors. Basically, people are not nosy enough.”
Last year, the insurer warned that thieves had arrived at some churches in vans, masquerading as builders, and had got away with roof lead and other heavy items. (News, 4 August).
“We want churches to make friends with their neighbours, tell them about any scheduled work, and ask them to treat any other activity as suspicious,” the company’s direct-operations manager, John Coates, said last week.
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