Lead thieves target local school roofs

Figures released by the North Eastern Education and Library Board show that a total of £45,000 worth of lead was stolen from the roofs of school buildings in the Board’s area between April 2011 and January 2012.

In the East Antrim area alone, thieves struck on 34 occasions, stealing lead worth over £30,000 from primary and secondary schools, several of which were targeted on more than one occasion.

A total of £567 of damage was caused by thieves at Larne and Inver Primary and St Anthony’s Primary. However, the vast majority of incidents (26 of the 34) took place in the Newtownabbey area, accounting for £24,000 of the total figure.