Officers from Westbury Police are appealing for information following a spate of thefts from sheds and reports of lead being stolen from All Saints Church and local businesses.
Four local Westbury men have been arrested in connection with the thefts and a large amount of property has subsequently been recovered. All four have been released on bail pending further enquiries.
All Saints Church have been forced to instal a new alarm system after suffering from considerable damage and expense in recent months from lead thefts from their roof.
Rev Jonathan Burke said, “We’ve just finished installing it so it protects the whole of the roof of the church. Over the last six months we’ve had three incidents where people have tried to take the lead off the roof, and lead has been either damaged or removed. This means we’ve had water leaking into the church and damaging books and furniture – the problem is that we don’t know it’s gone until it rains.
“It’s cost us far more than they’d get for the value of the lead – we’re talking about several thousand pounds and although our insurance company has been very good to us, it affects our premiums.”
Residents in the town are now being advised to check their property for thefts or damage, particularly as during the winter months incidents can go unnoticed.
PC Jo Philpott said, ‘We would like people to check their sheds for any damage, to see if there is anything stolen or any lead removed from their properties so we can identify the owners of the recovered items. I would also like to hear from anyone who has information regarding these thefts.
“It is important that owners check the security of their property and ensure that measures are taken to help prevent break ins. The Westbury Neighbourhood Policing Team is happy to give advice on improving security and can be contacted on 0845 408 7000.”
Anyone who has information regarding these thefts is asked to contact PC Philpott on 0845 408 7000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
