A thief stealing lead from the roof of a derelict Leeds pub managed to evade the clutches of the police.
The burglar was spotted scaling the roof of the Old Red Lion on York Road in Whinmoor, at 11.45am yesterday (Friday, September 9). West Yorkshire Police rushed to the scene and surrounded the building but the thief had disappeared without a trace.
A force spokesperson said: "At 11:45am yesterday, police received a report of a male believed to be stealing lead from the roof of the Old Red Lion pub, in York Road, Leeds. Officers attended and contained the building and searched the area but were unable to locate the male."
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The pub has been sitting derelict since it had its licence revoked last year after a spate of violent incidents. These included two stabbings outside and one person hit by a car.
Ever since, the pub has been targeted in multiple burglaries with the inside being gutted, with copper piping and CCTV ripped from the building. One man spoke out about how the pub is "beyond repair" and how the owner will likely sell it to land developers, to be demolished.
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