High price for theft of metal

Thieves who stole copper from a West Midland war memorial would have gained "very little value" from their haul, it has been said.

After an inspection of the vandalised memorial at Barr Beacon yesterday, Councillor Chris Towe said the damage will cost far more to repair than the value of what was actually taken.

Copper was stolen from the roof of the stone structure, which lies on a 240-acre site off Beacon Road, Aldridge, overnight on March 4.

The memorial has now been cordoned off and the roof is covered over with a tarpaulin to protect it.

Councillor Towe said the damage would be a "significant cost" to repair, and an exact cost would need to be calculated by an expert. He said: "The copper itself is probably worth just hundreds of pounds, it's really insignificant, so it's very disappointing that someone would go to so much effort and cause so much damage for such a little gain."