£20,000 worth of metal stolen from Wiltshire church
Metal thieves target medieval church
Last updated 8th Feb 2022
Thousands of pounds worth of metal has been stolen from the roof of the church overlooking the Stourhead estate in Wiltshire.
St Peter's in Stourton was targeted between 8pm on Thursday 3rd February and 9am on Friday 4th February.
Police say £20,000 of lead was taken from the roof of the 12th Century church, part of the landscape of the National Trust estate.
It's the third time in ten years the grade 1 listed building has been targeted, with previous incidents of metal theft in 2012 and 2019.
Officers are appealing for any witnesses or information to get in touch;
"We are urging anyone from the local area to check their CCTV for any individuals, or vehicles, acting suspicious around the time of the theft.
"If you saw something or have any information that could help in our investigation, please call 101. Even if it turns out the individuals are legitimate, we would rather be made aware so we can check all is well."
"Anyone with information about the incident should call 101 immediately."
'Sickening'
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Salisbury told Greatest Hits Radio:
"It is sickening that thieves would target an historic place of worship. The diocese is offering support to the congregation and ministry team at St Peter’s after this attack.
"Following the lead theft from St Peter’s in 2019, the Diocesan Advisory Committee did support the Parish’s preference to repair the damage with a form of stainless steel, rather than lead following the repeated attacks on the building. "
"We would echo the police’s call for anyone with information, to come forward."