News - History of abbey sold off by metal thief — for £87! (Newstead)

A METAL thief who stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of lead from Newstead Abbey — and sold it on for just £87 — has been jailed.


Gurshoron Bhattie, of Cornerpin Drive, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, pleaded guilty to theft and handling of lead from the historic abbey, which is the Dispatch district’s premier tourist attraction and the ancestral home of the poet Lord Byron.

Bhattie targeted the world-renowned landmark in December last year.

The 24-year-old appeared at Nottingham Crown Court and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Bhattie was arrested following the discovery of some of the metal drainpipes from the Grade I-listed building at a scrap-metal dealer’s.

Police then traced the car used to weigh-in the metal back to Bhattie and this led to the further discovery of more of the stolen lead in his car and back garden.

Chief Insp Sean Anderson, of Nottinghamshire police, said: “Newstead Abbey is among countless listed buildings that will never be the same again thanks to the disrespectful actions of selfish individuals such as Gurshoron Bhattie.

“He essentially sold pieces of Nottinghamshire’s centuries-old history for £87 in scrap value.

“It was very costly for Nottingham City Council to replace the drain pipes. The cost to Nottinghamshire in terms of heritage and legacy is something we will be counting the cost of for centuries to come.”

Ken Purslow, chairman of the Newstead Abbey Byron Society (NABS), said: “First of all I am pleased that someone has been caught and even more pleased to hear he has been brought to justice.

“But the thing that it doesn’t do is put the lead back on the roof and replace the lead drainpipes.

“It is down to whether Nottingham City Council has the confidence to put them back or we have lost them forever.

“If it has done anything, this has reminded the city council that the abbey is in a vulnerable position and it needs full-time care to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Metal theft is a national issue, costing the economy millions of pounds each year.

In response to the number of metal thefts, Nottinghamshire police launched a metal-theft reduction team who work in partnership with neighbouring forces, the government and industry to deter, detect and reduce this type of crime.

Since April, there has been a 46% decrease in the number of reported metal thefts in Nottinghamshire compared to the same period in 2011.

From http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/news/local-news/history-of-abbey-sold-off-by-metal-thief-for-87-1-4844827

News - Man and woman arrested over Newstead Abbey lead theft

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of stealing lead from the roof of Nottinghamshire's Newstead Abbey.

Lead was stolen from the roof of the Grade I listed building between 17:00 GMT on 5 December and 08:30 GMT on 6 December, police said.

The man and woman, both aged 23, were arrested after lead was found in a back garden in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

The lead, believed to be worth about £2,000, was also found in a car.

Nottinghamshire Police added that during an assessment by officers at a Mansfield scrap yard, more lead from the Abbey was located.

Newstead Abbey was the ancestral home of poet Lord Byron and was founded by Henry II as an Augustinian priory in the 12th Century.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16226473

News - Newstead Abbey Byron Society calls for higher security

A Nottinghamshire literary society is calling for security to be increased at Newstead Abbey after it was targeted by thieves twice in a week.

Several lengths of lead piping were removed from the building last week and days later more pipes had disappeared. 

Newstead Abbey Byron Society said the metal thefts should not have happened.

Nottingham City Council said it has been liaising with English Heritage and Nottinghamshire Police and had stepped up security with a range of measures.

Newstead Abbey, the ancestral home of poet Lord Byron was founded by Henry II as an Augustinian priory in the 12th Century and is one of eight city council-owned museums.

'Secluded and isolated'

Ken Purslow, chair of the society, said the large historic house needed to be better protected by the Nottingham authority.

"Newstead is obviously dark at night, secluded and isolated," he said. "The city council know perfectly well that this isn't the first time they've been subjected to criminal activity.

"In the past, tractors and gang mowers have been stolen, workman's huts and storage blocks have been broken into and things have been taken.

"So the council was aware that there's a problem long before this came to light."

Mr Purslow said the drain piping was "beautifully crafted architectural work of art", which had distinctive emblems in the lead and scrap metal dealers would recognise its historic value. 

He added that the cost of replacing the pipes would be "enormous".

Ron Inglis, service manager for Nottingham City museums and galleries, said people stealing lead from its historic buildings was a widespread problem.

"It's happened to our other museums," he said. "We do have security measures in place and we do our best to stop this sort of thing... we take it very, very seriously."

Mr Inglis said he believed the metal thefts at Newstead Abbey were "well organised" and while a police investigation was being carried out the remaining "accessible lead" had been removed.

He added that they had contacted scrap dealers in the hope of recovering the lead pipes.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16136533

News - Police hit the roof as metal thieves stoop to new low (Newark)

In police raids on three scrap metal yards in Newark, stolen lead sheeting, flashing and drainpipes from a number of churches in Nottinghamshire have been found.

At the most recent raid last Friday (21 October), a significant haul of suspicious material was seized and is currently being examined. One man has been arrested and bailed on suspicion of possession of stolen goods.

Detective Sergeant Rob Lloyd, who is heading up Nottinghamshire Police’s metal theft reduction team, said: “We have seen church buildings scaled, roof tiles ripped from their fixings and protective lead sheeting, flashing and drain pipes stolen.

“It is obvious that these stolen materials are simply not scrap - the sheer quantities, quality, finish and workmanship make it obvious they are from crime.

“This isn’t just extremely disruptive and costly for the church, but a very dangerous pursuit for the perpetrator, especially as the weather turns wintery.”

St Martin’s Church, in Bilborough, was hit three times in six months while they were trying to restore the building.

Church warden Hilary Wheat said: “We were on the thieves’ hitlist for a while. Thousands of pounds worth of lead was stolen from our roof, including very old tiles featuring historical graffiti known as ‘plummers’ marks’ and ‘lovers’ marks’. 

“We are delighted some of our lead has been retrieved as it shows that SmartWater and dedicated policing together does work, but we have had to repair the damage with clay ridges so as not to attract any more thieves back.”

SmartWater is a forensic liquid invisible to the naked eye but detectible under ultraviolet light. It cannot be washed off and includes a unique code registered to the owner of the property it is protecting.

Dave Reynolds, of SmartWater, said: “We went into one yard and found a stack of lead glowing like a Christmas tree.

“Once back at the lab it was analysed and found to be from churches in Nottinghamshire. Without SmartWater it would have just been lead, and completely untraceable.”

Kati Link from Ecclesiastical Insurance said stealing lead from a church roof can have a major impact  on both the parish purse and the community.

She said: “Essentially £50 worth of stolen lead means £1000s worth of damage for the church. In many instances, the church warden first becomes aware of the theft when the rain leaks through to the interior, damaging not just the external fascia of the building but the internal contents as well. Wooden organs and pews are expensive to replace and can put churches out of use for a while.

“For many, the church is the heart of the community and when it is forced to close because of the thoughtlessness of thieves it can have a devastating effect.”

While insurance companies do not raise the premiums for churches following a metal theft, they can only provide them with £10,000 per year to replace materials and repair damage. Some churches falling victim to metal theft on a number of occasions can tot up a bill, which runs well in excess of this limit.   

English Heritage has recently reviewed its policy on replacement materials for Listed Buildings. 

Guidelines to replace stolen materials like-for-like has been relaxed in light of the rising trend of lead theft. Now churches hit by thieves are permitted to replace stolen lead with an alternative material if security measures are unlikely to prevent further attacks.

From: http://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/newsandevents/news/2011/october/28/police_hit_the_roof_as_metal_thieves_stoop_to_new_low/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter 

See anyone on a church roof contact the church warden or dial 999 and take reg plate details of any dodgy looking van/car in the vacinity!

Article - First female on the beat (Worksop)

AS Worksop’s first police woman Eileen Hebb had to deal with a fair bit of prejudice - mainly from her colleagues.

Most of the problems began when she started courting a fellow police officer, something which was frowned on back in the 1950s.

Eileen, now 82, was one of only 15 police women in Notts when she arrived in Worksop in 1953.

She said: “When I started courting Frank, they didn’t like it. They were going to split us up by sending him to Arnold and me to Carlton but in the end he left the force and took another job.”

At five foot four, Eileen wasn’t the biggest police officer on the beat either.

But it didn’t deter her from tackling the same jobs as the men.

“I did everything the men did except nights, although they would call me out at night if there was an indecent assault or something where they needed a woman present,” said Eileen, of Long Lane, Carlton.

Originally from Mansfield, she went to police college there in 1952 at the age of 21, after convincing her dad it was what she wanted to do.

“My dad asked me if I was sure I knew what I was doing by joining the police and I said yes, so off I went.”

She spent three months there with 14 other women who were then assigned to stations around Notts.

Eileen - whose maiden name was Armstrong - went first to West Bridgford for six months, and from there to Carlton near Nottingham for a further six months, which was where she says she had the only really frightening experience of her police career.

“They had old air raid shelters in the streets and one night I saw a policeman heading to a shelter. I asked him what was going on and he said something was happening in the shelter and he told me to go home.”

“The next day I discovered he was in hospital after being hit over the head with a cricket bat. His face looked awful when I saw him.”

Eileen then moved to Worksop where she earned £5 a week, while her husband Frank earned £6. Her uniform was navy blue and consisted of a skirt, jacket, hat and a handbag, the strap of which was secured through an epaulette.

She was assigned the number 13, which never worried her because she wasn’t superstitious.

She particularly remembers one inspector who she says was resentful of her and made her walk all the way to Shireoaks and back.

Eileen remembers stopping a drunken cyclist who was weaving all over the road outside the police station on Potter Street, who got the shock of his life when he was hauled in by a woman.

She also recalls directing traffic and seeing a police officer watching her.

“I didn’t know what he was doing but he turned out to be the superintendent who was carrying out an inspection. When he saw me later he said ‘Armstrong, you did a good job out there’.”

After getting married and becoming a mother, Eileen left the force and ran a grocery store on Sandy Lane with Frank for ten years.

She then took up a job as a store detective for the former Co-op on Eastgate. “I had two fights in the street with shoplifters but I told them that I paid for my shopping so why shouldn’t they?” she said.

From: http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local-news/first_female_on_the_beat_1_3859911

News - Thieves grab 300-year-old trough (Retford)

A GEORGIAN monument, thought to be more than 300 years old, has been stolen from the garden of a house in Retford.

Thieves are believed to have used a trolley to steal the 3ft by 4ft limestone trough from the back garden of a house in Leverton Road in the early hours.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “The very heavy trough, which is 20 inches deep and shaped like the letter D, is then suspected to have been loaded on to a vehicle.

“Anyone who witnessed the theft, or who has any information about the perpetrators, is asked to contact Pc Gareth Nicholls at Retford Police Station on 0300 3009999.”

The theft took place between 3am and 6.45am on September 5, although police only released details yesterday.

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/thieves_grab_300_year_old_trough_1_3764165

News - War memorial plaque stolen from Mansfield park

A World War One memorial plaque has been stolen from a Nottinghamshire park.

The inscribed metal plaque, dedicated to local people who died in the First World War, was taken from Carr Bank Park, Mansfield.

Police said it was stolen some time between 1930 BST on Monday and 0745 BST on Tuesday.

The plaque has been in place since the memorial - which is now a listed structure - was unveiled in 1921.

Tim Downes, parks and open spaces manager at Mansfield District Council, said: "Any crime aimed at public property is sad but a theft from a war memorial is especially deplorable and sickening.

"The memorial pays homage to local people who gave their lives for our country in the First World War.

"Whoever has committed this act has shown utter contempt for their sacrifice and we would appeal to the conscience of anyone involved or anyone who comes across the plaque to inform the police immediately."

Nottinghamshire Police has appealed for anyone with any information to contact them.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-13131876

This is the third one to be attacked in the last year - I'd suggest everyone should keep an eagle eye on our precious war memorials and report anything suspicious immediatly to the police.

Other thefts include:
Barr Beacon, West Midlands March 2010



Broughton, Shropshire April 2011


Denaby Main, South Yorkshire 2010


Carlton-in-Lindrick, Nottinghamshire 2011


London, Palmers Green August 2009


Manchester, Philips Park, November 2010 – caught but judge gave community sentence!


Mansfield, Nottinghamshire April 2011


Newburn, Tyne & Wear, ?


Nuneaton, Warwickshire 2006


Plymouth Hoe, Devon July 2008


River, Kent April 2011


Stocksfield, Northumberland ?


Tayport, Fife October 2010