THE Church of England is to host a conference to examine ways of tackling the sharp rise in the theft of lead from church roofs.

English Heritage, North Yorkshire Police and Ecclesiastical Insurance will join church leaders to discuss the latest anti-theft deterrents, such as roof alarms and a grease which cannot be washed off for six weeks.

So far this year, there have been 45 claims in the diocese of Ripon and Leeds – 50 per cent above the annual average since 2001 – at a cost of nearly £54,000.

During the same time in the Durham diocese, more than 50 church roofs have been targeted, at a cost of £60,000.

Over the past four years, more than £750,000-worth of lead has been stolen from churches across the North- East.

In April, the Archdeacon of Auckland, the Venerable Nick Barker, held an emergency meeting with police over the escalating problem, while last month, Darlington MP Jenny Chapman backed calls for tougher laws to tackle metal thieves, following a surge in incidents in the town.

She said: “A £25,000 bill to a church or community centre can be the difference between being viable or not.”

A spokesman for Ecclestical Insurance said: “For churches that are repeatedly targeted, the answer isn’t to continue paying claims.

“We need to stop the thefts happening in the first place.

“Security protection, police support and local community vigilance have to be the way forward.”

Alice Ullathorne, a Church of England building support officer, said church roof theft in the region had traditionally been largely an urban phenomenon, but thieves were increasingly focusing on churches in isolated areas.

She said: “It is seen as a victimless crime, but it has a really big effect on the people who worship in the churches.

“Many churches do not have any spare cash and the theft of lead from roofs can create a great amount of damage to the fabric of a building if you have a wet week.”

Sergeant Chas Petty, of North Yorkshire Police, who will speak at the event, said he had been amazed by the risks thieves were prepared to take to steal the lead, with some climbing 70ft onto roofs without safety equipment.

The conference will be held at Holy Trinity Church, Kirkby Road, Ripon, on Wednesday, November 30, from 6pm.

For more details, email alice.ullathorne@riponleedsdiocese.

org.uk or call 0113-200-0544.