Steep rise in theft of ancient slabs from churchyards, paths and walls fuelled by homeowners' desire for 'lived-in' stone

From England-

Crosses — hastily engraved — mark each one of the paving stones leading to the entrance of Christ Church in Linthwaite, a village set high in the Pennines of West Yorkshire. They are not intended as a declaration of faith but as a security measure: symbols that will hopefully make the stones less attractive to thieves.

‘It should make them harder to sell,’ explains the Rev Ann Broxham, deacon of the Anglican church. ‘And we have installed some security lights too.’

In January, a gang of men descended upon Christ Church some time after Sunday evensong, when its doors had closed for the night, and dug up 19 paving stones before carting them off in a van. The stone flags had graced the churchyard for more than 200 years, their surfaces worn into smooth undulations by generations of worshippers.

More here-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3150483/Was-kitchen-floor-stolen-church-Steep-rise-theft-ancient-slabs-churchyards-paths-walls-fuelled-homeowners-desire-lived-stone.html