Theft of lead from church buildings has been well documented in local and national press, seriously affecting church groups with unforeseen stress and expense.

The cost of lead replacement is one factor, however the cost to rectify damage to the building caused by thieves can also be significant, along with the cost to put right damage caused by water ingress from the roof.

In response many insurers have subsequently removed or limited cover for this particular risk within their church insurance policies. Where limited cover is found, it is generally on the basis of a maximum value per policy period (12 months) and not per claim.

The limited cover values tend to be adequate for small thefts or small churches. Churches hit with repeated thefts exceeding the annual limit or larger churches who suffer a larger theft could find themselves having to find significant sums of money to fix the damage that has been caused.

The good news is that WRS Insurance have access to insurers that do not limit cover for theft of lead.

Demand for scrap metal is still high so theft of metal is unlikely to decline. Theft of lead awareness is now widespread and hopefully most local communities are switched on to the risks that face their local churches.

Local awareness is one factor that can help protect a church, however there are many other crime deterrent and prevention measures churches can implement such as identity marking the lead, secure fixing, physical security (in particular restricting motor vehicle access when the church is unattended), surveillance, planting prickly bushes and shrubs, anti-climb paint on pipes and roof guttering, CCTV and intruder alarms.

To get a quote and receive advice on your church insurance needs please contact us to discover how WRS Insurance Brokers can help you.