Men found with half a tonne of stolen lead in car boot
Published Date: 28 November 2009 By Staff Copy Three men were arrested after police stopped a car and found half a tonne of stolen lead flashing in the boot. Officers stopped the car in Pine Road, Kettering, at about 11.30pm on Thursday after following it for a couple of streets.
Police found it was being driven without insurance and then discovered the large amount of lead.
The three men who were arrested were aged 19, 20 and 39 and were all from the Kettering area.
They have now been released on police bail while officers continue their inquiries.
PC Martin Boyce, of Corby Criminal Intelligence Department, said: "The vigilance of these officers led to the arrest of these three men.
"This is another reminder to those who persist in carrying out these crimes that we are watching them closely and we will catch them."
The Evening Telegraph reported in August that police were hoping a scientific breakthrough could help them tackle the theft of metal thefts after a surge which saw 80 reported incidents at premises including churches and businesses across north and west Northamptonshire in the three previous months.
Northamptonshire Police's forensic science manager, Dr John Bond, has devised a system which can match stolen lead to specific church roofs which may be able to trap offenders in the same way as DNA technology.
The 80 reported metal thefts included incidents at St Edmund's Church in Warkton, All Saints' Church in Kettering, Rothwell Methodist Church, St Mary the Virgin in Wilby and St Mary's in Duddington.
St Peter's Church in Raunds, All Hallows' in Hargrave, St Laurence's in Stanwick and St Mary's in Ringstead have all had security alarms installed following break-ins and thefts of church silver.
The Rev Christopher Pearson is in charge at St Mary the Virgin in Wilby and St Nicholas in Great Doddington, both of which have suffered multiple lead thefts over the past 12 months.
He said: "The more people get caught, the more it will deter others, we would hope."