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It's important to understand the risks churches face and how best to make them safe for the future.

 

Metal theft from churches is a significant part of heritage crime.

 

At a time of high global demand for raw materials such as lead, copper & zinc. with many churches and heritage sites being located in rural locations, many of these sites are targetted & attacked by thieves in search of these metals and unfortunately are seen as an easy target.

Roofs are often the main target. These crimes undoubtably leave victimised churches
vulnerable to further damage through repeat thefts and weather ingress.

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Then, of course, there are the many valuable objects stored in churches – cathedrals in particular. Some house historic records and various artefacts as well as precious statues. Very often there is money which has been taken in collections or is as a result of some fund-raising project.

The latest strategic assessment of serious crime suggests that, after a period of sustained decline, the recent rise in metal prices has attracted criminal gangs, making metal theft one of the fastest-growing crimes globally. Offences like these in the UK have increased by a staggering 25 per cent in the year ending March 2018, compared with the previous year.