Overview

• Derbyshire Police say lead was taken from the Church of St Mary and All Saints between the evening of 26 September and the morning of 28 September.
• Images released by the Rural Crime Team show a section of roof laid bare with underlying wooden panelling exposed.
• Officers have opened an investigation and urged witnesses to contact Derbyshire Police quoting reference 25000583551 or to call Crimestoppers anonymously.
• The incident follows a late August theft in which four lead downpipes were removed from the same Grade I listed church.
• The church, famed for its twisted spire, highlights a wider issue as data show 3,758 church thefts and burglaries from 2022 to 2024, with repair bills often reaching tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds, according to the National Churches Trust.