In a dramatic raid on McKeon Stone’s Irish blue limestone quarry in Stradbally, Co Laois, at the start of this month (June) thieves rammed a police van with a stolen 4x4 then evaded a police helicopter by escaping on foot.

The Irish police (Garda) were alerted by security devices that had been installed at the quarry following two raids last year when Euros80,000 worth of copper power cables were stolen. Stone Developments and Feely Stone, who also quarry Irish blue limestone, have also been raided.

When McKeon lost the main cable supplying power to their quarry they had to replace it as quickly as possible to avoid disruptions to production but are now arguing in court with their insurance company, who say only plant and buildings were covered.

Managing Director Niall Kavanagh says it should be a warning to all companies to check their insurance cover, and Stone Federation Great Britain say this is a timely reminder to UK quarry and masonry companies to review their security measures.

Jane Buxey, the Federation’s Chief Executive, told NSS: “The mixture of economic austerity and commodity price inflation has already seen an explosion of theft of copper cable from railways. With copper now fetching £5,500 a tonne, thieves have even tried cutting high voltage power cables from pylons. Any premises left unoccupied overnight or for any length of time where electrical equipment is used are vulnerable.”

Niall says when his quarry was first targeted by thieves in August last year “we were wide open”. In 50 years in business the quarry had never been robbed and had limited security.

Now they have alarmed the perimeter wire and the power switch house and installed closed-circuit TV. Each time the quarry is left, large blocks of stone are put at every entrance, which helped thwart the thieves when they raided again this month.

It is thought they entered the quarry across neighbouring farm land. They set off the alarm as they entered the site and when the police arrived were using one of the excavators in the quarry to try to move the blocks of stone in front of the gates.

The Garda arrived at 2am and left a van and squad car parked outside a farmyard near the quarry to block the entrance.

Once disturbed, the thieves made their escape the way they had come, over farmland. They drove through two closed gates and rammed the police van in their attempt to escape, but their stolen getaway vehicle was damaged and could go no further. They abandoned it, blocking the narrow country lane and preventing the police from being able to follow them in their squad car as the thieves ran off. A helicopter was called out but could not find them.

Niall told NSS afterwards: “We gave them a run for their money and maybe they will think twice before coming back again.”

But it is not only metals that thieves are targeting. They are also after stone. The industry has been familiar with stone roofs being stripped from barns and dry stone walls being removed from fields for years, and garden statuary has always been vulnerable. But thieves seem to be getting more audacious. In an attack on the 14^th century Nunnery Castle in Somerset this month (June), 30 hefty coping stones were taken from the perimeter wall. The castle is managed by English Heritage.

The past year has also seen police in Surrey issuing a warning about a spate of thefts of York stone coping stones and paving, and police in Wrexham, Wales, appealed for witnesses after 15 hefty coping stones were stolen from the 18^th century Erddig Hall, owned by the National Trust.