£14k repair work completed at Barr Beacon memorial

An historic war memorial targeted by metal thieves twice in a matter of months has been fully repaired.

Copper was stripped from the monument at Barr Beacon during vandal attacks which left a total bill of £14,000.

The second theft two weeks ago came while repairs were being carried out after the first raid in March this year.

Despite extra cost to the Barr Beacon Trust, the work has now been completed in time for a concert to be staged at the spot later this month.

And council chiefs today said a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) bid to fully return the memorial to its former glory was also on track.

The HLF previously approved a Walsall Council bid for a £500,000 restoration project at the site off Beacon Road, Aldridge - built in 1933 as a memorial to the men and women of Staffordshire and Warwickshire who fell during World War One.

The council is now working on the second round of the HLF application.

In the latest attack, thieves forced their way through razor wire and corrugated sheets to seize the metal which can be sold on.

They climbed scaffolding and ripped copper off the top of the 50ft memorial. Beneath the copper, the memorial has a 100-year-old wooden roof. It was feared this would be damaged by exposure to the elements.

It happened overnight on June 29 and was discovered by contractors the next morning.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader and Barr Beacon Trust chairman, confirmed repairs to the memorial have been completed.

He said: "Preparations are underway for The Bands of the Beacon on July 25 to be staged around the war memorial and raise awareness of the HLF project to restore the landmark."