TWO West Dorset churches have been targeted by lead thieves within the space of a few days.

Symondsbury and Powerstock churches are the latest to fall victim to thefts.

Symondsbury churchwarden Clifford Harp said: “There are five bays up there, two and a half feet wide and they stripped the middle out of all of them.

“It was easy takings up there.”

He added: “It is not worth putting lead back because they’ll pinch it again.

“But as the church is Grade I listed we are a bit hamstrung otherwise I would have put felt back.”

Less than a week later nearly £2,000 worth of lead was taken from Powerstock church.

Powerstock assistant priest Elaine Marsh said: “They took the whole of the south side.

“They know what they are doing and they are very quick.

“People who do these things are experts in their field.

“They know exactly what they are doing.”

She pointed out that the people who buy the lead are equally guilty.

Parochial church council treasurer Tim Conor said lead theft was an epidemic.

He said: “Of course they can melt it down and there’s no trace of where it comes from.

“It is very difficult and the buildings can’t be defended 24 hours a day.

“It happened in the dead of night in the middle of winter so they have a lot of time to work.”

Builders firm H Leaf and Sons of Powerstock was able to put a temporary polythene cover on the roof within a few hours and said it could cost between £4,000 and £5,000 to replace the lead.

Police join forces to tackle illegal scrap trade

UNDERCOVER police have joined forces with the Environment Agency and HM Customs and Excise to target the illegal scrap trade in West Dorset.

After two weeks of surveillance and a number of vehicle stops, police searched premises in the area of Lower Wraxall, near Toller Porcorum.

They seized four vehicles, vehicle parts and three engines.

Environment Agency officers were involved as it was suspected the site was being used as an illegal scrapyard.

HM Customs also looked at suspected offences relating to tax evasion and revenue fuel duty.

Inspector Mike Darby of Bridport police said: “Operation Iridium is concentrating on the offenders who are on a daily basis driving around our community and stealing scrap metal and any other items they feel they can get money for.

“These type of offences impact everyone in the rural community and is a constant cause for concern for landowners.”

A 49-year-old Beaminster man was arrested on suspicion of theft and is on police bail until February 29. A 38-year-old man from the Bridport area was arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation and criminal damage and is on police bail until April 9.