UNSCRUPULOUS thieves stripped lead from the roof of Holybourne Village Hall on Church Lane in the early hours of Saturday morning, leaving the trustees facing a repair bill which is expected to run to hundreds of pounds.

According to one trustee, Vickie Kemp, the incident is thought to have taken place around 3.30am but the thieves were probably disturbed because they left the job half done.

The lead was taken from the roof of the outside porch and inner hall area, leaving it vulnerable to water ingress and damage to the ceiling.

It is thought the thieves may have made a noise which alerted neighbouring residents who switched on lights, thinking it was their own properties being burgled, and the thieves were scared off. Neighbours reported seeing and hearing a big heavy vehicle driving off at speed down Church Lane, and with no lights on.

While work has already taken place to make the roof water-tight, according to Mrs Kemp the village hall committee is now waiting for quotes on the work, including the use of different types of material to replace the lead.

The committee is looking at an excess of £250 on the insurance cover and the loss of no claims bonus for the next three years, which could amount to more than £550, plus the cost of installing CCTV cameras.

While The White Hart pub has already chipped in with a donation of £106 from its August quizzes, for which the committee is “very grateful”, Mrs Kemp is hoping that others might also come to the rescue.

Police investigating the incident are seeking witnesses and anyone with information should call 101, quoting 44170322009.

The incident follows hard on the heels of a break-in overnight on Tuesday, August 15, on a development site off Anstey Lane, Alton, when contractor containers were broken into and various items of machinery, including generators and petrol disk cutters, were stolen, along with rolls of lead. The value of the theft is estimated at thousands of pounds.

While police enquiries are ongoing, anyone with information relating to this incident should call 101, quoting 44170316176, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.