A STRIP of valuable lead has been stolen from a house in Pastor's Hill, Bream – but it took patches of damp on the walls to reveal the awful truth.

And it is also impossible to tell exactly when the theft took place because it may have taken quite a long time for the water to soak in.

Police say they think it was taken "some time between the beginning of January and Saturday March 17".

The crime was only discovered over the weekend by a man doing building work at the property.

The thieves would have had to use a ladder to get to the metal at some point since the beginning of the year, say police, who are eager for anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area or with any information to call them on 101, quoting incident 264 of March 17.

Alternatively, Crime­stoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via www. crimestoppers-uk. org.