ALARMS are being fitted at Oxfordshire’s churches to foil thieves who have stolen thousands of pounds worth of lead from the roofs.

The Oxford Diocese is encouraging churches to install the alarms, as well as using SmartWater marking on their roofs, following a spate of thefts.

Charles Baker, chairman of the Diocesan Advisory Committee, said 27 churches in the diocese had suffered lead thefts in the past six months, including 18 in Oxfordshire.

He said: "We are getting more and more requests for permission to fit roof alarms.

"We are working with Thames Valley Police and would urge churches to look into alarms and potentially CCTV as we want to stop any more churches fall foul of these thieves."

The monitoring of alarms is carried out remotely so does not have to be done by local churchwardens.

The theft of lead from the roof of St Mary the Virgin Ewelme, near Wallingford, a Grade I listed building which dates back to 1434, was only discovered after a storm on September 15.

Churchwarden Chips Gell, 81, found out about the theft after asking some workmen to find out how water was getting into the church.

He added: "I discovered that the whole of the south side of the chancel was completely flooded.

"A 30ft area going right up to the altar was affected and hymn books and kneelers were completed saturated before the hole was covered up.

"The theft must have taken place any time in the last three to five weeks - it was only because of the rain that this crime became apparent.

"It is very sad to think that these churches, which have been looked after and loved for so many centuries, are being treated in this way.

"Polythene sheeting is now covering the roof while three different quotes for the repair work are assessed and the work is agreed with our Diocesan Advisory Committee."

The lead on the roof at St Mary's was SmartWater marked, which could help it to be traced in future, but that did not deter the thieves.

Mr Gell, who lives in the village with wife Sue, added: "The water came down into the choir stalls on the south side of the aisle, into the wood floor, the pews and the kneelers."

The churchwarden said he alerted police and is getting quotes from three different companies for repairs, but expects the bill to run to thousands of pounds and the church is liable to pay an insurance excess of £1,000 – money that could be more usefully used for the church’s work.

Mr Baker added: "As far as we are aware there have been 27 of these incidents at churches across the diocese in the past six months, including several in Oxfordshire.

"We want churches to be able to do the work in the communities that they were built for and not to have to pay for repairs of this kind that are not always fully covered by insurance."

SmartWater is only visible under UV light and makes marked valuables identifiable.

Thames Valley Police has not yet commented.