DNA help for church

Officials at All Saints' Church in Darfield have smeared the roof with a grease which leaves a DNA stain on anyone who touches it.

The church is believed to be the first in the country to use the grease. The uniquely identifiable material, invisible to the naked eye, is traceable for months after any initial contact.

It stains thieves’ hands on contact and can be identified under ultraviolet light for three months – despite washing.

The radical move comes after thieves damaged stone to remove lead flashing on the vestry roof, which then leaked causing 5,000 of damage.

Just a week earlier a piece of lead worth 10 was stolen from the roof, causing rain damage to the church’s vintage organ, estimated at 20,000.

Rector the Rev Neil Redeyoff said: "I was spending more time attending to practical work, such as supervising roof repairs, than to my pastoral work.

“It’s like we are under siege. There have been at least four thefts from the roof and from the porch. I’ve lost count.”

The 1,000-year-old building is grade one listed, and English Heritage had strictly ruled out the use of cheaper repair materials, he added.

The Rector said his insurers would only pay out so much when the lead was repeatedly being stripped from the roof - and All Saints' church was close to the maximum payout.

Mr Redeyoff said: “We are having a running battle with lead thieves and we hope the DNA grease will be the answer.

“It’s been used by businesses but we understand we’ll be the first church in the country to use it. It’s very frustrating as the value of lead is incredibly low compared to the huge amount of damage that has been caused to the church.”