Police investigating church gravestone tampering

Police are investigating after a number of gravestones in a West Yorkshire churchyard were tampered with.

The Reverend Emily Tidball, of St Mary's Church in Gomersal, said staff noticed during routine maintenance last week that three stone slabs in the graveyard had been moved.

She said police were called and were investigating the incident, but added no long-term damage had been caused.

"The slabs which had been moved have been replaced and are currently being made safe and secure," she said.

West Yorkshire Police said there was no indication anything had been removed from the graveyard.

"Nevertheless, we understand the concern that an incident of this nature will cause in the local community," a force spokesperson said.

An investigation into the incident was ongoing, they added.

Figures from West Yorkshire Police revealed a year-on-year rise in the number of reported thefts involving some kind of stone.

Between March 2023 and March 2024, there were 168 such incidents across the force area.

The following year, from March 2024 to March 2025, that had risen by more than 50% to 256.

The data showed that in most cases, police were unable to find those responsible.

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