County Durham company offers churches a solid way to fight against thefts
A family-run Darlington business is helping churches all over the UK to fight crime and stop the theft of expensive metals.
Stone Technical Services is working with a range of ecclesiastical organisations as they tackle the increasing problem of theft of lead, copper and stainless steel roof coverings, roof-flashings, copper lightning conductors and lead rainwater pipes.
According to Ecclesiastical Insurance, specialist insurers for the Anglican Church, since 2007 over eight thousand claims for metal thefts have been made at a cost of over £3 million.
Stone is now working with churches to install specialist crime prevention measures and has teamed up with Vipa UK, one of the leading manufacturers of church roof protection, alarms and CCTV systems.
Thanks to Stone's specialist experience in historic building maintenance and restoration, the company can offer specifically designed crime prevention systems for churches which are discreet, easy to use and install and provide constant monitoring which can be linked to a call centre of local responder.
Managing director, Dave Stone said:
"It's a sad reflection on society but there is a major demand for bespoke crime prevention systems for churches and other religious buildings. The scrap value of metals such as lead and copper is high for thieves and churches have become an easy target. We're now working with organisations to sympathetically install crime prevention measures at churches all over the UK in an attempt to combat this dreadful practice."
Stone Technical Services specialises in all aspects of high level maintenance, lightning conductor installation and steeplejack services as well as restoration and masonry refurbishment projects on churches, museums, clock towers, castles, spires and historic buildings.
The company works all over the UK on a variety of high profile buildings such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Selfridges in London and for organisations such as English Heritage and the National Trust as well as for well known industrial clients such as INEOS Plant Utilities and Teesside Power Station.
Earlier this year, Stone launched a new office in Cheshire and re-located its London site to a more central location. Stone now has premises in Cheadle Hulme near Stockport, close to Piccadilly Circus on Orange Street in central London, Pinner in Middlesex and its headquarters in Darlington.
