The theft of dry stone walls from remote areas in Lancashire has reached such proportions that the police are patrolling specifically to tackle it.

And it has paid off. Three men appeared before Blackburn Magistrates last month (July) charged with stealing walling from the Trough of Bowland.

The court heard that a van was stopped by a police patrol in the early hours of the morning because it was low on its suspension. The driver said there were just ‘bits and pieces’ in the back but when the doors were opened stone fell out.

Consequently, Christopher Andrew Buck, Ryan Howard and Robert Macintyre, all living in Morecambe, appeared in court, where they pleaded guilty to the theft of a dry-stone wall.

They were all made subject to an electronically monitored curfew between 9pm and 7am for three months and, at the request of the prosecution, were ordered to pay £150 each to pay for the rebuilding of the wall to the standard required by English Heritage. They also had to pay £85 costs each.

Kevin Bamber, defending, described the offence as an unsophisticated crime committed by three men looking to make a small amount of money, but accepted the wall had to be rebuilt and that had to be paid for.

The police say stone walls and outbuildings in Ribble Valley are an important part of its heritage and they are aware of the problem – but it’s a big area to patrol. They say they would value the public’s assistance in reporting anything suspicious.