It must seem to readers a case of another week, another Suffolk church robbed, the lead stripped from its roof without a care. In my South Suffolk constituency we have so far had two churches affected – Lavenham and Stratford St Mary. But in recent weeks there have also been attacks on nearby Hundon, as well as Combs, Parham and Dennington. In total, 8 churches in our county have been hit since 23rd August 2015.
How seriously should we view such a crime? Yes, this is only a property crime; fortunately people have not been physically harmed. That said, the world has been rightly shocked by the horrific way in which so called Islamic State have destroyed ancient monuments such as the Temple in Palmyra. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has described the desecration of such historic sites as a ‘war crime’.
Lead theft is not a war crime, and is not an international event. But the perpetrators are nonetheless committing an act of desecration. Most importantly, we are not talking about cultural heritage hundreds of miles away. This is our Christian heritage, in our county, being trashed by wanton criminal behaviour that cares not a jot for the role of a church as a compassionate beacon for our communities. These are attacks on our culture, our history, our greatest architectural treasures.
When I walked on the area of roof at Lavenham targeted by thieves, I was shocked to see that beautifully carved crenellations had been smashed off to provide an easy drop off route for the lead down to an awaiting wheelie bin. I understand that in Hundon a tomb was split open when a piece of lead was dropped onto it. As I say, this is an act of desecration.
What can be done? Prevention is key. Communities should be on the look-out; people living near churches should be alert. Above all, we need to fit our churches with alarm systems capable of deterring theft. I understand that the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust are making funds available for 50% of the cost of alarms but churches will need help raising funds for the remainder. I will be probing this point further to see if more can be done.
Then there is the need to pay for the damage itself. Churches affected seem to have very little insurance cover and whilst they will all no doubt be fundraising as far as possible, with dwindling congregations this is not easy. So, together with the support of my fellow Suffolk MPs who are equally appalled at these crimes, we are looking at what funding might be available. Ultimately, whether Christian or not, regular church-goers or occasional, we all need to support our churches because Suffolk’s villages would be far poorer without them.
Published in the Suffolk Free Press.