THOUSANDS of pounds worth of lead has been stolen from the roofs of two Wyre Forest churches.

Lead worth more than £5,000 was taken from St John The Baptist Church in Wolverley, while £500 of the metal went missing from St Cassian’s Church in Chaddesley Corbett.

Police believe the incidents - which took place between October 1 and 7 - are linked, as the rise in lead prices had led to an upsurge in thefts in the area.

The Rev Geoffrey Shilvock, vicar at St John the Baptist Church for 25 years, said he was “disappointed and angry”. He added: “I find it difficult to understand why they are doing it.

“I suppose it’s entirely for the money - it will fetch a high price and they have obviously got no scruples at all because they seem to be targeting churches.”

Mr Shilvock, 62, fears the church will have to pay towards replacing the lead, as the insurance policy will only cover losses of up to £5,000 a year.

“I think it will probably cost more than £5,000 so, if they come back and take it again, we will have to pay for it ourselves,” he added.

He explained there had been three similar incidents at the 237-year-old church over the past two years, with thousands of pounds worth of lead being stolen.

“It’s not the first time this has happened and the parishioners are all getting a bit fed up of it now,” he went on, “We keep replacing it and it keeps getting taken.”

The lead was discovered missing on Tuesday last week at about 11am, when rain began leaking into the choir’s vestry.

“It could have been taken any time in two weeks before that, though, because we didn’t really have any rain,” Mr Shilvock added.

Police said the two incidents might be linked to the theft of a wheelbarrow containing a computer table and an old bike from outside a garage in Blakeshall Lane, Wolverley on Wednesday last week.

Anyone with information can call Kidderminster police on 0300 333 3000 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.