Heartless thieves have struck a second time in under a week and stolen more stone slabs from treasured walkways at Manorlands Hospice, Oxenhope.

On Wednesday night some 35 Yorkshire stone slabs were levered out of their settings and taken from a paved area beside the visitors’ car park.

And over the previous weekend 11 slabs were also taken which prompted outrage amongst the local community.

Palliative care manager at the Sue Ryder centre, Lizzie Procter, said the callousness of the latest crime had left staff and residents shocked and upset.

And Conservative Group leader Glen Miller called for any stonemasons offered such slabs under suspicious circumstances to alert the police.

Speaking after the second theft, an angry Coun Miller (Con Worth Valley) said: “These people are morally sub-human and I wish that the justice system, when it catches up with them, would be allowed to treat them as such.

“I suspect that most residents would think that a bit of corporal punishment would not go amiss on this calibre of individual.

“Theft generally has a hugely detrimental effect on the lives of the victims, but in an instance where a hospice for very ill people and their relatives is targeted, it is a crime that even the perpetrators should be ashamed of.

“When people are residing in hospices, it is a very important element of their care, that they are able to enjoy being outdoors at times.

“They should not have to avoid areas provided for them because the lowest of the low have seen fit to creep around in the night looking for things to steal to fund their criminal lifestyle.”

Mrs Procter, standing beside the emptied patio area, said: “For it to happen again is very, very distressing for everyone here.

“In good weather this is a place for residents and visitors to come and sit in the summerhouse or to walk and enjoy our gardens.

“All the space we have here is used to maximise the good effects it can have to help people.

“Residents love our gardens with the trees and wildlife, the birds and the squirrels. We even have deer which wander through the grounds.

“And we encourage people to really enjoy the world we live in - it’s all part of what we do here.”

Mrs Procter said it was hard to imagine how anyone could drive past the large Manorlands signs and then steal from such a worthwhile place.

“Whoever did this knows exactly what we do here and also where they are going,” she said.

“This is a very open place and we encourage the local community to come up and visit on open days and at events.

“It belongs to the community and we want everyone to feel comfortable here, so it is very well known locally.”

Mrs Procter said as well as the emotional impact on residents, it meant Manorlands would have to find extra funding to replace the stolen slabs.

She said: “It’s a hard enough job raising money for direct care, without having to use up monies replacing things which have been stolen.”

Coun Miller is now championing new rules to govern the sale of stone as they do with scrap metal.

He said: “I will write directly to the Minister for Justice and use the recent events at Manorlands as an example of why urgent action is needed to regulate the sale of stone.

“Now that it is harder to dispose of stolen metals, it would appear that criminals are increasingly targeting stone and we would not wish to see one victim’s problem merely directed to another innocent person.

“Every possible avenue of funding for this calibre of people needs choking off without delay.”

A West Yorkshire police spokesman said they were renewing every effort to trace the stone thieves.

He said: “This is an appalling crime and we ask anyone with information to call 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”