Churchgoers were stunned when a gang wearing balaclavas and gloves were let off by police after being caught red-handed on a church roof.

Recently removed lead rolled up for removal was found near by but the three men were only cautioned after officers told parishioners: “They could claim they climbed on to the church roof to admire the view.”

St Helen's Parish Church at Treeton, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book, has been plagued with thefts of lead from the roof.

About 85 per cent of the lead has been stripped and left church officials needing to raise £200,000 for repairs to the roof and church tower. The roof is currently covered in plastic sheeting and contractors have erected scaffolding which made it easy for the men to scale the building last Sunday evening.

Carole Robinson, whose husband, Ron, is a churchwarden at St Helen's said: “It is so frustrating that after so much damage and trouble, we finally catch men on the roof only for the police to let them off with a caution. The police said that lead was not the kind of material you could get fingerprints from and they did not have enough evidence to take them to court. The police said they could claim they had only gone up to the tower to look at the view. It left people furious. I just feel we are totally vulnerable. It seems we are totally helpless and the law seems to be on the side of the criminals.”

Two of the three masked men who were cautioned are believed to be known to police. Residents say that they were aged between 20 and 30.

Chief Inspector Jason Harwin of South Yorkshire Police said: “Officers searched all three youths and thoroughly examined the surrounding area but found no evidence that any offences had been committed, nor that the youths possessed any articles with which to commit any offences.

“As a result of this officers had no power to arrest these youths and they were warned to stay away from the property. Various local operations have been conducted in order to catch offenders in the process of stealing lead from the church but so far these have been to no gain.”

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Should Knox’s trial even have reached the courtroom?
• All that glitters is not sold in Wright’s world
• Believe it or not, Big Brother is your friend