St Paul’s Church Fazeley – Lightning Strike By Thieves
Last month thieves stole the lead from the roof and porch of St Paul’s Church in Coleshill Street, Fazeley. This parish church is a grade 2 listed building, associated with the Peel family. As the building is listed by Government under the Planning Acts as being of ‘architectural or historic interest’, the church congregation was obliged to replace the stolen lead with new lead, traditionally fitted, which was done. However, within weeks, the shiny new lead again attracted thieves, and went again.
Then on around June 5th, thieves again visited the church, this time attracted not by lead (or by the services!), but by the copper of the lightning conductor. The copper strip lightning conductor from the ground to the highest part of the building was partly ripped away and stolen.
Church Warden (and civil engineer) Michael Crick said that for the sake of a few pounds worth of copper, the church now had to employ a specialist contractor costing perhaps £2000 to re-install a lightning conductor, to safeguard both the building itself and members of the public in or near the building. The building is used for a wide range of activities, including Fazeley Pre-School, and it is hoped to open a new hall in a few months. There was a thunderstorm the very night of the theft, and a lightning strike then would have had dire consequences.
New local MP Christopher Pincher visited the scene of the crime on Sunday, and said:
“I am very sad that thieves have stooped to targeting a church. The theft of the lead was bad enough but stealing the copper in the lightning conductor threatens the entire building. Only today we have had thunder storms. If lightning strikes now the church could burn down.”
“And though the cost of replacing the copper and lead is minimal the labour costs and the replacement of slates means the actual cost to the church will run into thousands. Crimes like this must be taken seriously.”
As the current high price of all types of scrap metal is encouraging theft, the public are asked to report any suspicious activity near churches and similar buildings.
