Destruction trail of chapel raiders

TREASURER Ian Deas surveys the damage to sodden carpets after thieves stole copper pipes from radiators

METAL thieves have struck at an Oldham Church, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Shocked members of the Dob Lane Unitarian Chapel in Failsworth discovered raiders had got in through a window between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning. Once inside they ripped copper piping from the heating system and water supply to the kitchen and toilets, and several rooms at the chapel, just off Oldham Road, Faislworth, were flooded.

Treasurer Ian Deas said: “It was a right mess — the carpets are absolutely ruined and there was dirty water from the radiators everywhere. They ripped out the pipes in the toilet, flooded it with water, then turned the stopcock off. It’s so annoying. This is a place of worship, but that doesn’t seem to have any meaning to these people.”

It’s estimated the insurance claim could run into the thousands. The crime came as a blow to the small and elderly congregation, which has cancelled this Sunday’s services






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