Pair stole lead from school roof
Two metal thieves have been handed suspended sentences after stripping thousands of pounds worth of lead from a Wolverhampton school.
Nineteen-year-old James Meachem and Dale Sherwood, 27, stripped £5,000 of lead from the roof of St Peter's Collegiate School in Compton, leaving it with serious damage.
They struck just before the new school year was about to start.
The two men were spotted climbing on to the roof of the Compton Road West site late on August 28 and ripping off lead flashing off.
A site supervisor raised the alarm after seeing the pair running off down Compton Road with the flashing under their arm. Police arrived within five minutes and searched the local area.
After making inquiries the two men were arrested and charged with theft.
Both pleaded guilty after appearing at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court. Meachem, from Low Hill in Wolverhampton, was sentenced to 16 weeks detention, suspended for 12 months, a supervision order and ordered to pay £385 costs and compensation.
Sherwood from Tettenhall was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, a rehabilitation order and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work.
