Security warning issued to Dorset churches amid rise in silver thefts
£500,000 worth of silver was stolen from UK churches in 2024
Over £500,000 worth of silver has been stolen from Churches across the country in the last year - including one in Dorset.
Churches have long been targets for criminals, who've stripped copper and lead from roofs, but a new issue of silver thefts has been growing and is posing a major threat to historical and religious artefacts.
Sherborne Abbey in Dorset was targeted in August 2024, with thieves stealing £90,000 worth of items including a processional cross, two virges, and a bishop’s crosier used for communions.
Rector The Reverend Martin Lee, said:
“One thing is quite clear: they cased the joint, as it were, beforehand. The Abbey is open every day, and they would have had a warm welcome from the people on the door. They were cared for as they came in, when we now know that their intention was to see how they could steal from us.”
A specialist church insurer has issued advice to churches up and down the country to keep their property safe.
The guidance, from Ecclesiastical Insurance, calls on churches to:
• Consider installing electronic security protections in the church, such as intruder alarms or remote video surveillance systems, linked to a monitoring centre
• Make sure any safes are high-quality and modern with a Euro rating between 0 and 7 and that they are permanently fixed to a wall or floor to make them more difficult to remove
• Ensure items are recorded in the church inventory and security marked using SmartWater, which will assist recovery if stolen
• Keep portable valuable items in a secure area, the safe where practical, or a locked vestry or similar area when not in use
• Where this is not possible consider keeping items at the home of a church member
• Encourage the local community to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity as thieves may complete reconnaissance prior to a theft
Helen Richards, church operations director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said:
“It’s appalling that thieves would target churches with zero regard for the impact they have. Many of the items stolen are irreplaceable and have both historical and sentimental importance. This loss of heritage and the impact on the church and its community is devastating.
“Many of these stolen items are donated to the church and can be hundreds of years old, used by generations of churchgoers, meaning on top of the considerable distress there is the loss of history as these irreplaceable items are lost forever.
“There is a real risk the economic challenges in the UK and high value of silver could see an increase in thefts from historical buildings such as churches, so we’re urging churches across the country take steps to protect themselves and follow our guidance.”