POLICE have arrested two men in connection with the theft of lead from a number of properties in Selby, including a church and the town’s magistrates’ court.

An 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old youth were arrested on Monday afternoon in connection with a spate of lead thefts in the New Lane area, said a spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police.

Officers were alerted to the theft of lead from the roof of Selby United Reformed Church in New Lane at about 10.30am on Sunday.

John Hodge, secretary of the church, said the theft could have happened at any time in the last few weeks.

But was only noticed following bad weather at the weekend.

Mr Hodge said: “We noticed it over the weekend when the rain came on Sunday morning. When we opened the church at 9am, the water had come through the gulley in-between the two roofs and we saw the lead had been stolen.

“I’ve also heard that the magistrates’ court had some stolen and St James’s Church, which isn’t far from us, also had some stolen.

“There’s also a house across the back lane with a lean-to roof and a small strip of lead had been stolen from that too.”

Ted Batty, treasurer of the church, said replacing the lead would cost more than £1,000, and said: “It seems that an army of lead thieves have visited Selby.

“From our church, I should think they have stolen a valley gutter of about 60 feet long by about two feet wide. I would think it’s quite a few hundred weight of lead they’ve taken. The roofer we’ve hired to repair it said there had been a plague of lead thefts in the area, not just Selby, and that after three or four thefts, insurance companies will stop covering us.”

The police spokeswoman said a report had been received of a suspicious male outside the courthouse on Friday, April 22, but an inspection of the building showed no lead had been stolen at that time.

A spokeswoman for Selby Magistrates’ Court confirmed that an amount of lead had been stolen from the building.