Stone flag thieves
 

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

Total Scumbags,
I've heard of slabs being taken from places such as churches,driveways, back alleys.
I also know of a house that was empty being broken into so they could rip the ash felt floor up to get to the flags underneath (lord knows how they knew that there was flags under there).
I guess this is what happens when we live in a country thatis soft on crime and the causes of it :(
Also (just a observation) but maybe those that have a interest in Tarmac and driveways might have a part to play in some of this thievery :rolleyes:

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

You Mean the Council?

The largest amount of perfectly good flagstones have gone from our pavements and been replaced by inferior brick blocks and garden flags made of concrete, just take a trip (and I mean a trip) along Blackburn rd in town to see the results.
:rolleyes:

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...SSaaahhhhh.jpg

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

No, I think even the council can play the victim in this one ;)
Yorkshire stone seems to be easy target for these sorts, it's extremely difficult to identify or trace. I heard DNA glue/grease has been introduced to help councils and homeowners trace and recover their stone flags.
Perhaps it's come to the point we should chisel our postcodes into our flags? :eek:

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

The whole of Blackburn Rd's flagstones from the viaduct to the town hall were just stolen?

Or perhaps like me, the council discovered the value of these stones sold them off and then they replaced them with the substandard masonry we have today?

I was improving a terraced house I lived in 20 or so years ago, the backyard the kitchen extension and the back room all had flagstones.
Unfortunately damp permeated through into the house, the best way to stop this was to replace the flags with a well sealed concrete floor.
I got in touch with a guy that wanted to buy flag stones, he called around inspected the stones, Offered me a price that would more than pay for the labour and materials to replace the flags with a quality floor and backyard, he insisted that he and his workers dig them up to prevent damage.

If domestic flagstones had such a high value, what did the council get for such a large quantity of paving stones? Then I wonder, how much of that money went back into replacing our pavements?
They surely wouldn't have just ripped out the stone and thrown it on a tip.:confused:

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

I naively thought, happen the council was (squeaky clean and ) actually a victim for once.
After reading your comment, I must say you have a fair point, especially the money that goes back in "the purse" ;) ....


....Someone must think that a nice smooth Tarmac surface is superior to those flags that are uneven and cracked though :p
Maybe it's them that are pushing a shopping trolley, wheelchair or in one of them mobility scooters?
Also, Tarmac doesn't have a tendency to become broken when motorists park their cars on it (which I hear some motorists in that area do :D).

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

Grates are another target of the thieving scum. I have a friend who, a couple of years ago, was walking through Accrington in the dark when her leg went straight down a hole left when the grate was stolen. She got a terrible shock and has been left taking tablets for pain and nerve damage every day. It doesn't look likely she'll ever improve now. All for the sake of easy money for the vultures that show no respect for the place and people they live amongst.

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

After the last spate of stone flags in our patch I thought they might go for the very large flags outside our front door, I got the angle grinder out and cut a 1/2 groove diagonally across the flags X, then filled the grooves with a light coloured mortar, now if they try to lift them they will crack and make them useless.
There is supposed to be a substance that can identify flags, but to me it would be useless, the plod would need to carry sumat to make it visible, & the quarry's have got equipment to put any dodgy flags at the bottom of the pile, will the be ordered to move them during a search, I think not, plod can't be bothered to record serious crimes these days, let alone bother searching for a 30 quid flag.

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

Unfortunately the police appear to value the theft by the value of the second hand flags and not by the cost of replacing them or the other damage or accidents caused by the theft. A few £30 flags soon become very expensive to replace for the council and it's our money being spent because of the theft.

Re: Re: Stone flag thieves
 

I don't know about the lord. But perhaps a bit research.... The house where I lived on Steiner street for 20+ years had them

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

I don't know about The Lord either R , call me naive, but where/how would one "research" such info?
Even if there is such a place, the flags could of been lifted an sold years ago.

Would a thief break into a house on the off chance of flags being under a ash felt floor? surely not, am I underestimating the greed/stupidity of the crooks today?? :eek:

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

Suggestible it is then that those that have their home broken into for the flags have some connection to the thieves which also suggests they have dubious friends

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

Or a dubious letting agency with dubious friends/associates ;)

It was certainly a strange one,No sign of forced entry,only a forced exit.
The police suggested the thieves got in through a hole that a cat would struggling fitting through :rolleyes:....only 2 folk had a key and one isn't a criminal....hmmm.

Please don't suggest my circle of friends are that of common criminals...... their much more professional :D

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

Haha. I never read into your post that much to realise it was one of your friends hahaha

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

I use to crack flags in my garden to stop them wobbling,it does the job, but not as easy on the eye as un-cracked ones.
I've seen churches that have had to resort to using spray paint to mark their flags,stonework....sad really,it totally spoils the aesthetics :(

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

Sixty years ago it was common practice that many stone terraced houses that were being renovated would have the flag floors covered with asphalt. This was done for various reasons. One of the main reasons as Less says, was dampness. Another, was when flags were uneven they used to cut the linolium. A type of felt was placed over the flags and then covered with about 15-20mm of aspalt. The two most popular colours were a reddish brown and black. A firm from Blackburn used to specialise in this work and were in big demand, although it was pretty expensive. My hubby does not remember anyone from the Accrington area doing it. So i would imagine that anyone who is getting on in years may remember this being done, and could be the mastermind to flag stealing, but i would of thought there are a lot of easier ways to make a living.

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

Seems our underfunded,overstretched police service have a problem on their hands.

Last year it was mainly copper wire,cable and metal theft,this year it's stonework (mostly flags) what's it going to be next year? Pet Dogs (seems to be a growing problem)?? :eek:

I always wondered how someone not working was able to afford a new transit van and a fancy caravan. :rolleyes:

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

A friend of mine has just posted on facebook that two men with a pickup truck are cutting stone flags up at the back of her house with a grinder , no p.p.e.. She rang the police only to be told that they wont send a patrol just in case they are legit. They will pass it on to the p.c.s.o.'s

Re: Stone flag thieves
 

about reporting to the police why not report the crime. just means people will say crime is down:eek: