Maxiflow have been contacted regarding yet another lead theft which has occurred in the Cheshire and Merseyside area.
This latest crime continues an upsetting theme which has seen valuable metals stripped from places of worship such as Holy Ascension Church in Upton and even Chester Cathedral.
Perhaps the most shocking of all was the theft of a set of plaques from the Willaston War Memorial at Christ Church last July.
Despite a number of arrests and a crackdown on scrap metal dealers, metal thieves are still preying on vulnerable institutions such as education centres, libraries and civic halls.
The latest theft has occurred at Bethesda Chapel in Bebington, a small church on the main road through the town.
The church’s boiler is housed in a small room to the rear of the property, the roof of which is normally protected by a line of razorwire. The deterrent was ineffective in this case, however, as the uncaring thieves cut the wire and rolled it back.
The stolen lead was stripped away from the edges of the roof, along the inside of the parapet wall. This includes the abutments along the top and far edge, and the box valley at the foot of the slope.
Maxiflow are investigating the best solution for the church going forward, with the possibility of replacing the slates with a flat EPDM rubber roof system, but this initial plan may change upon further assessment.
> More about metal thefts in Chester & Wirral
