The theft of lead from church roofs is on the increase and our insurers have said they’ll no longer offer full cover unless the roof is protected by an alarm. Although we’ve more pressing uses for our limited funds, we’ve regretfully decided that installing an alarm system is the only sensible option.

The roof is now protected by sensors 24/7. When activated, video footage of what’s happening will be transmitted automatically to a control centre. If people are on the roof the police will be called and an external siren activated. The footage is automatically recorded and made available to the police to help them identify and catch the thieves.

The lead is also already marked with SmartWater, as are all items of value inside the church. (SmartWater is a liquid containing a code, whose presence can be seen under ultraviolet light. It’s applied to valuable items, so that if they’re stolen and later recovered by police, their original owner can be traced after laboratory testing of a sample).