CHURCH leaders yesterday held an emergency meeting with police and other experts over the escalating problem of lead theft.

Nationally, the cost of such theft from church roofs over the past four years is estimated to be £23m, with £750,000 worth of the metal being sold in the North-East.

Archdeacon of Auckland, the Venerable Nick Barker, said that in many cases, thieves who see churches as an easy target cause much more damage removing the lead.

He said insurance payouts did not cover the full cost of repairs and replacements. It leaves hardpressed congregations having to raise thousands of pounds, often at the expense of other worthy projects.

He was one of the Anglican church officials attending the conference at Bournmoor, near Chester-le-Street, along with representatives from police, insurers, security and roofing firms.

He said: “It is a big issue. It is not just the monetary value, it is the hardship suffered by the community as a result.

“In times gone by, a church would have been a respected building, but that is no longer the case.

“The insurance will only pay out £5,000 in one year and there is no national funding for churches.”

The Northern Echo reported yesterday how Durham Police are cracking down on metal theft, which accounts for one in 12 crimes in County Durham and Darlington.

Police are already urging the Government to reform the regulation of scrapyards to ban cash transactions and make rigorous checks on both the origins of the metal and the sellers.

Archdeacon Barker said one congregation in County Durham was trying to raise £20,000 after its church roof was stripped of lead.

John Coates, of the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, said churches that suffered thefts must now install deterrents such as Smartwater as a condition of continued cover.

Archdeacon Barker said the conference had been useful and that ideas over improving church security and other issues would be examined further.