TWO PARISH priests who slept in a Royston church disturbed a man who was allegedly stealing lead from the roof.
Father John Hudson and Father Jon Booth were in St John the Baptist Church on Tuesday night after discovering a pile of lead had been prepared to be stolen during another theft the night before.
Father Hudson said: "We were keeping a vigil in case they came back.
"We knew it had gone and they had prepared another lot to take so we realised if we stayed in we could catch them."
The priests were disturbed at about 3am on Wednesday and called the police. They believe there may have been two people on the roof taking the lead, but did not see them.
The church is trying to raise £55,000 to match a grant of £106, 000 from the English Heritage to repair the roof. They have until December to raise the money but fear work may need to be started as early as August because the roof is in such a state.
A police spokesman confirmed that a 22 year-old man has been arrested and released on bail.
