With metal theft from churches at crisis point, a national campaign is being launched today to save thousands from further damage by criminals.
As part of the Hands Off Our Church Roofs campaign, Ecclesiastical aims to see sophisticated electronic alarm systems installed on the roofs of Anglican churches across the country.
An average of seven churches a day are being targeted for the lead in their roofs by criminals who see them as easy pickings.
Ecclesiastical, which insures 96% of the country's Anglican churches, is investing £500,000 of its own money to install roof alarms free of charge on some of the most badly affected churches.
The campaign is being launched today in St Peter's Church, Blackley, in Manchester, one of the worst hit parts of the country.
Ecclesiastical said that 2011 had been the worst year on record for church metal theft claims after it received more than 2,600 metal theft claims from churches by the end of the year.
John Coates, Ecclesiastical‟s director of church insurance said: “The attack on Britain's churches has reached catastrophic proportions and we simply have to do something about it."
The alarms, the majority of which will be fitted in England, use concealed sensors on the church's roof to detect the presence of a metal thief. Upon activation, the alarms emit powerful blue flashing lights to draw attention to the church while speakers broadcast a loud, recorded message warning the criminal that an alarm has been activated. An alarm signal will be sent to a remote monitoring unit and will trigger security personnel to attend the scene.
The systems were piloted successfully by Ecclesiastical in over 100 churches. It found that where roof alarms were fitted, metal thefts were reduced significantly or stopped completely.
Although only the worst hit churches will receive the systems for free, Ecclesiastical is appealing to surrounding churches to help make it harder for thieves to target their areas by purchasing their own alarm systems.
"As times are hard, we recognise that in some cases this is going to require fundraising by the church and its local community," Mr Coates said.
He warned that metal theft was jeopardising Britain's architectural heritage and pushing churches that are unable to meet the cost of repairs to the brink of closure.
“Britain’s churches are woven into the fabric of our national life and our heritage. For millions of us, some of the most important milestones of our lives are played out in church – baptisms, weddings, funerals.
"Everyone can appreciate the beauty of their architecture and the good will they radiate into the communities around them. Now their roofs are being casually ripped away by criminals looking for quick cash – criminals who have complete disregard for the damage they inflict.
