Owners of Rossington Hall, Gary and Michelle Gee are devastated that the restoration of their magnificent Victorian hall, which they hope to turn into a wedding venue next year, has been hampered by the actions of heartless thieves who have stolen a large amount of metal from the house and grounds.

Metal thefts have been an ongoing problem in Doncaster and nationally for some time and is well reported. With the price of lead and copper particularly high at the moment it is no surprise that drain lids, copper earth strip and roof lead are the main losses, causing leaks and damage to newly renovated rooms. On this occasion, however, the thieves have also destroyed and taken original metal railing from around the lily pond, which is under renovation. The thieves may be happy with the scrap value they receive for the railing, but the replacement cost for the renovation project will be high indeed. Gary and Michelle are committed to bringing Rossington Hall back to its former glory, repairing original features and commissioning original style pieces where possible. Replacing the railing will mean taking casts from the small amount that is left and the cost of this alone is likely to cost several thousand pounds.

Chief Inspector Ian Bint of South Yorkshire Police said “Metal theft is a real issue and we are working hard to keep it under control. Regrettably it is particularly impactive on people when historical items are destroyed simply for their scrap value. Anyone who has any information whatsoever can contact South Yorkshire Police by phone on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111”

It seems on this occasion the thieves were not happy just to take the metal and as well as breaking windows they stole a magnificent original stone feature from the walled garden, again only replaceable at substantial cost.

Please feel free to contact Rossington Hall on 01302 866 822 if you have any information that will help or email hello@rossingtonhall.co.uk