Two men have been jailed after pleading guilty to a string of York stone thefts from churches across Lancashire, as well as in other parts of the country.

Jason Perry, Connor Lipinski, and Owen Lipinski, all admitted conspiracy to steal stone – which caused repair costs of £125,000 – and were sentenced on December 21 at Chester Crown Court.

The court heard how the trio when on a theft spree between January and March, hitting churches across Lancashire, as well as in Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire.

Churches affected included Grade-II listed St Ambrose Church in Grindleton in the Ribble Valley, along with St Michael’s in Aughton and Ormskirk Parish Church, a Grade-II* listed building.

Elsewhere, they hit All Saints Church in Glossop, Derbyshire, St Cuthbert’s Church in Hassall, Cheshire, All Saints Church in Grindon, Staffordshire, and St Mary’s Church in Astbury, Cheshire.

The historic churches included four Grade-I listed places of worship, which includes St Michael’s, Aughton.

Lancashire Telegraph: St Ambrose Church in GrindletonSt Ambrose Church in Grindleton (Image: Wikipedia)

Their spree was brought to an end when Cheshire Police identified Perry’s vehicle during their investigation after spotting it on CCTV, which then led them to more evidence linking the trio to the crimes.

Raids were carried out at properties in Greater Manchester on July 27 in a joint operation by Cheshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester police forces, with the men all arrested simultaneously.

The location the stolen York stone had been sold on to was also identified, and some of it could be returned to  three of the churches affected.

The men were later charged with the conspiracy to commit the thefts and Perry was also charged with handling a stolen motor vehicle and driving while disqualified.

Jason Perry, 49, of Wallshaw Street, Oldham, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to steal stone, driving whilst disqualified and handling a stolen vehicle. He was sentenced to four years  in prison.

Connor Lipinski, 28, of Gale Court, Rochdale, was jailed for three years after he admitted the conspiracy to steal stone at an earlier hearing.

Owen Lipinski, 31, also of Gale Court, Rochdale, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal stone. He was handed a 15 month suspended sentence.

A supplier of illicit number plates was also identified, searched under warrant and shut down. All three involved stolen vehicles were also recovered and returned to their rightful owners.

PC Rob Stordy, of Cheshire Police, said: “By working together with other forces and with the expert help and advice from Historic England, we have brought these men to justice for pillaging our rich history.

“These crimes impacted the heart of our rural communities and left most of the paths impassable due to the damage the men had caused by removing the stones.

“I hope today’s result sends a message to thieves that rural crime is taken extremely seriously.”

Mark Harrison, Head of Heritage Crime Strategy at Historic England, added: “The outcome of this case highlights the benefits of collaborative working and is an approach we shall continue to use when dealing with the theft of historic stone.

“The theft of stone from historic church buildings is serious organised acquisitive crime.

“Removing large areas of paving from church buildings has not just a serious financial impact on church communities but a significant impact on their morale.

“The stone stolen in this case will have historic and cultural value and its removal can lead to irreparable loss and damage not just to individual communities but to the whole nation, which is why tackling this type of heritage crime is so important.”