Yorkshire Stone Thefts

EDM number 558 in 2015-16, proposed by Greg Mulholland on 20/10/2015.
Categorised under the topics of Crime and Cultural heritage.

That this House expresses concern at the rising levels of stone theft across Yorkshire, with schools, homes, farms and churches all being targets by thieves; notes that Leeds City Council has had to replace £50,000 of stone stolen from the city's pavements, a 50 per cent rise from last year, and that West Yorkshire Police have seen an 18 per cent increase in theft of Yorkshire stone in the last year; further notes that many thefts take place during the day with thieves dressed as workmen in high-visibility jackets; notes that police believe some of the stone is sold on to the building trade and mostly taken by rogue builders; expresses strong concern that the stone thefts mean Yorkshire's heritage is being stripped back; commends the previous government for acting urgently to deal with the same problem affecting scrap theft by passing the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013; notes that this led to a 40 per cent fall in the number of offences during the first three months following the passing of the Act; calls for a dedicated stone theft taskforce to be set up, similar to the National Metal Theft Taskforce, and stronger fines and sentences to deter further thefts; further calls for a national awareness-raising campaign for households and businesses to check where their stone is from; and believes these and other actions are urgently needed if Yorkshire's heritage is to be properly protected.

This motion has been signed by a total of 4 MPs.