LEAD thieves have struck a Carterton church for the third time in three years, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Parishioners at Carterton Methodist Church discovered puddles of water on the church hall and corridors’ carpets when they arrived at the building on the first Sunday in January.

It transpired thieves had stolen the lead flashings that stop water seeping down between walls and a flat roof over part of the building.

Church steward Paul Mansell, 75, said: “When we saw the water coming in we wondered if it was the drain on the flat roof being bunged up with leaves. But then we found out the drain was perfectly OK but the lead flashings had gone.”

The retired technology teacher added: “The thieves always take everything they can quickly cut off with a Stanley knife. Any lead that is more complicated to reach or requires climbing about, they don’t bother with.”

Church treasurer Mike Hawkins had to climb up on the roof to make temporary repairs using sheets of tarpaulin.

Thieves have stolen the lead flashings on two previous occasions over the last three years. The last theft cost the church £2,500.

This time it is feared the bill will stretch into the thousands of pounds again, with plans to replace the lead flashings with fibre-glass ones.

Mr Mansell said: “I would have thought the value of the lead is very small compared with the damage and inconvenience it causes us. It’s totally out of proportion.

“The trouble with the thieves is they rationalise what they are doing in their their own minds.

“If they take a television from a house they say it’s only right because the person they stole it from has a job and will be able to replace it.

“But they don’t consider the heartache and the inconvenience that go along with the thefts.

“It’s so sad that there are people around who just don’t care about anybody else, and it happens in all walks of life.”

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Reverend Ian Duffy, who is responsible for the church, said: “We can say this is wrong but whether the thieves take the slightest bit of notice is another matter.

“If it’s the previous thieves coming back or others doing it, heaven only knows.

“The only thing I can say is that in our churches where there is that sort of theft, we are replacing the lead with non-metallic materials. It’s frustrating but we just have to get on with it.”

Carterton Methodist Church was originally built in 1907 and extensively modified in the 1980s.

It attracts a weekly congregation of two dozen and is funded mainly by church collections.

Thames Valley Police said it was investigating the theft.

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