Theft of Metal from Church Roofs: Prevention and Response
This advice note is intended to offer clarity to congregations responding to the sharp rise in the number, severity and geographical spread of metal thefts from church roofs since publication of our previous metal theft advice note in 2017.
It sets out actions you can take to reduce the likelihood and impact of metal theft. These include knowing your building, understanding the main heritage crime risks that affect your area, undertaking a combination of measures to prevent theft, and being aware of the specific security measures required by your insurer to guarantee that you are covered in the event of metal theft.
When a theft has taken place, it can be difficult to know how to respond. This advice note sets out how to report a crime and what to do in the immediate aftermath to ensure that no further damage or loss to your building is sustained due to the theft of roof metal.
Contents
- Introduction
- Preventing theft
- Dealing with theft
- Help the police get a conviction
This note forms part of a package of materials published by Historic England and written to help congregations dealing with metal theft or the risk of metal theft.
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Theft of Metal from Church Roofs: Replacement MaterialsPublished 10 September 2021This note deals mainly with replacing lead and copper roofs on historic churches but also applies to other buildings with traditional metal roofs.
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Church Roof Replacement Using Terne-coated Stainless SteelPublished 1 April 2022
This note collates current best advice for construction of new fully supported stainless steel roofing to replace stolen lead on historic churches.
Additional Information
- Series: Guidance
- Publication Status: Completed
- Pages: 22
- Product Code: HEAG306
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