THIEVES who stripped slates from, the roof of Leathley Methodist Chapel were thwarted before they could carry them away.

Now police have issued a warning to people to be on the lookout for gangs operating in the area.

Over the weekend, slates were stripped from the chapel, built in 1826 and the oldest building in the Otley and Aireborough circuit.

Dennis Beecroft, the property steward told the 'Wharfedale': "On Sunday lunchtime, a chap called me and asked if I was doing something to the chapel roof.

"There were all these roof slates stacked up. Thieves had been and stripped about a third of the south side of the chapel, which stands in my field.

"They had stacked them up near the side of the field, but they left them because they must have been disturbed. My neighbour heard a vehicle pull away at 2.40am on Sunday morning."

Mr Beecroft said he had recovered all the slates that could be re-fitted, although there were a number that had been broken and could not be used. He added that there was no possibility of any services being disrupted by the attempted theft.

He said: "We have had the roof covered, so that the wet doesn't get in and we are going to have it repaired.

"A similar crime took place in 1990 when the whole of the south side of the chapel was stripped."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police warned for the public to be vigilant as gangs specialising in this type of crime had been operating.

He said: "There have been other thefts of roof slates from that area. If anyone sees vehicles carrying them or anyone acting suspiciously around such buildings, they should contact the police."

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