SALISBURY Cathedral is just one of the churches affected by a spate of lead thefts across Wiltshire, causing "thousands of pounds worth of damage".

And Wiltshire Police has released the images above to highlight damage caused across the county, and renew its appeal for more information.

In recent weeks several churches have been targeted, including four 10ft lead pipes stolen from the walls of Salisbury Cathedral.

Another nearby church targeted was The Rectory, Zeals, when between August 14 and 16 around £40,000 worth of lead was stolen.

The images above highlight the lead theft damage at St James Church in Westbury and Christ Church in Corsham Road, Shaw.

As previously reported, detective Sargeant Sam Hopkinson is urging residents to be mindful of these incidents and to report any suspicious activity immediately, describing the stealing of lead as "extremely costly and inconvenient to repair", adding: “Those involved in committing these crimes are causing thousands of pounds worth of damage and we are determined to identify those involved."

In the latest appeal DS Hopkinson added: “These photos show the true scale of some of the damage caused to our churches – in most of the cases it will be costly to repair.

“I’d like to renew our appeal for information from members of the public and I’d continue to urge anyone who sees or hears any suspicious activity around churches to contact us immediately – call 999 if a crime is in progress, or 101.”