The appalling theft of two tonnes of stone flagging from outside Bolling Hall Museum is rightly described by Councillor Dave Green as nothing less than cultural vandalism.

The thieves who tore up the valuable Yorkshire Stone before loading it into a lorry and driving off are desecrating Bradford’s history.

The stone is said to be worth around £6,000 but in terms of the city’s heritage, it is absolutely priceless.

Bolling Hall is one of the most important historic buildings in the district, and it is part of the fabric and history of Bradford. Stealing from it is effectively stealing from the people of the city.

Sadly, extreme as this case is, the theft is just another example of the growing trend of heritage crime, with stone and metal thefts from historic monuments, memorials, churches and other buildings becoming all too commonplace.

Again, it is incredible to imagine how this stone will be disposed of, but with an operation on this scale, the thieves surely must have had a buyer lined up. But any stone merchants who are offered quantities of this sort of stone and are suspicious about it should contact the police.

The history and heritage of any city is a vitally important part of its make-up, and these thieves have stolen part of Bradford’s.

Hopefully, CCTV and any eye witnesses, because surely someone must have seen this happen, will help bring the perpetrators to justice, ideally before too much of the stone is sold. But ultimately, these thefts would not take place if there was not a demand for the stone, so those who buy and receive it are as equally guilty as those who steal it.

The police must act to shut down the market for stolen stone and metal by finding those dealers who are prepared to buy with no questions asked. And they need to do it quickly, before more of our precious heritage is stripped away.