Alarming our church buildings

Author: Mr Robert Culyer

Published on: 29 December 2017

Churches across the Diocese have been suffering from a sustained spate of lead thefts. At its height, on average three to five churches were targeted every month.

Despite the continued support of the Police and the local community, churches are still being targeted and extensively damaged.

To protect this community space, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James and others have been working together to find a long-term solution and have created The Roof Alarm Scheme. The Scheme has raised over £250,000 and will be spent installing alarms on a number of churches.

Bishop Graham said: “This roof alarm scheme is an imaginative and effective way of combating these thieves and giving heart to those who care for our churches so well.”

PCC members should be aware that without an alarm approved by insurers, they may not be fully insured and may not receive sufficient insurance to cover repairs if there is any damage or theft. Bishop Graham and the Police and Crime Commissioner are also asking if the public might consider contributing to install alarms on other churches by donating to the Raise the Alarm campaign.

If you see or hear anything suspicious around a church please report it to the police. To report suspicious activity please call 101 or if you see a crime in progress please call 999.

For further information about the scheme see pages 28/29 of the Nov/Dec issue of The Magazine, or visit www.DofN.org/alarms

It is important that parishes read the conditions of their insurance policies, because quite often without an approved roof alarm system insurance companies will not pay out for lead theft.