British thieves are ripping up ancient pavements, slate roofs and even graveyards to feed a fashion for real stone in expensive home makeovers. The organized gangs have switched from stealing copper and other types of metal following new rules demanding tighter checks by scrap metal merchants.

    Schools, churches, memorial gardens, farm buildings, homes and even historic city pavements are being targeted by the criminals.

    The stone is being sold on to unscrupulous builders who use it to create kitchen floors and work surfaces, fireplaces, patios, drives and walls. People with valuable stone on their property, such as Portland - which was used in the construction of St. Paul's Cathedral - Yorkshire and Cotswold are most at risk.

    Eric Bignell, editor of Natural Stone Specialist magazine, said the uses for stone in the home have increased massively in recent years.

    "People want something which is substantial in their home, from hard landscaping to housing interiors," he said.

    "People are stealing everything from stone walls and tiles to garden statues to reuse in the home."

    Recent cases include a Cotswold farmer, who was left with a US$77,455 repair bill after thieves stole the stone roof from his stable block twice in three weeks.

    Leeds City Council has had to replace US$77,455 worth of York stone stolen from pavements across the city within a 12-month period.

    Kevin Thomas, risk management surveyor at Ecclesiastical Insurance, warned that people having stone features installed in their homes and gardens may be at risk of receiving stolen goods.

    The thieves stealing the stone are often removing items that have been in place for hundreds of years and are an important part of Britain's heritage and landscape.

    Thomas said stone thieves are often very brazen, dressing in high-visibility jackets so they look like official workmen.

    "It's so easy for them to take it. Often these places are in rural areas, they are unoccupied and isolated and thieves have all the time in the world to carry out the theft uninterrupted."

    Words to Learn 相关词汇

    不择手段的

    bùzé shǒuduàn de

    unscrupulous

    having or showing no regard for what is right or honorable, devoid of scruples    

    露台

    lùtái

    patio

    an outdoor space for dining or recreation that adjoins a residence and is often paved

    石材装修盛行 盗石案频发

    英国时下盛行用天然石材进行昂贵的装修，为满足需求，窃贼们从古道、石板瓦屋顶甚至墓地盗取石材。

    政府发布的新规要求废金属收购商对金属进行更严格的检查，有组织的盗窃团伙已经从偷窃铜和其他金属转向偷窃石材。

    学校、教堂、纪念公园、农场建筑、住宅、甚至历史古城的道路都成了犯罪分子的目标。

    偷来的石材卖给不择手段的建筑商，他们用这些石材铺就厨房地板、工作台、壁炉、露台、车道和墙体。

    那些房产上有珍贵石材的人最有可能被偷。珍贵石材包括用于建设圣保罗大教堂的波特兰石、约克石和科兹沃尔德石。

    《天然石材专家》杂志的编辑埃里克·比格内尔说，近年来石材用于家居装修的比例有了大幅增长。

    他说：“从硬质景观到室内装修，人们想要在家中采用一些坚固的材料。”

    “人们现在偷窃各种石材用于家居装修，从石墙石瓦到花园雕塑，都不放过。”

    最近发生的盗石案的受害者之一是科茨沃尔德一位农民，他家马厩的石头屋顶三周内被偷了两次，修缮费需要77,455美元。

    利兹市议会更换全市被偷走的约克石路面一年要花费77,455美元。

    安立甘宗教会保险公司的风险管理鉴定人凯文·托马斯警告称，那些在家中或花园里添置石材的人可能有收到赃物的风险。

    偷石材的窃贼通常将存在数百年的东西拿走，这些东西是英国遗产和景观的重要组成部分。

    托马斯说，盗石贼通常无所顾忌，他们穿着醒目的夹克，看起来像正式的工匠。

    “他们要偷走石材很容易，通常这些地方位于农村，无人居住，与世隔绝。他们有大把时间把东西偷走。”