Thefts of church roof metal hit an all-time high

Thefts of metal from the roofs of churches are costing religious congregations dearly according to specialist insurer Ecclesiastical — which indemnifies churches against everything except acts of God.

The insurer said that 2011 was the worst year on record for claims on the island of Ireland. There were 54 cases in 2011, while 13 cases of church metal theft in Ireland have been reported this year to date.

A spokesperson for Ecclesiastical said that the damage to buildings can often be extensive and goes far beyond the cost of replacing stolen metal.