Woman issues warning after waking up to find half her pathway dug up by thieves

The woman woke up to find her pathway had been dug up A woman was left shocked after waking up to find “half her pathway missing” after warning others about the new tactic used by thieves. Opportunistic criminal gangs are on the hunt for York Stone and are digging up driveways and selling them on. A 45-year-old woman, who preferred not to be named, from Whitefield, Greater Manchester, said she was stunned to find the paving missing, and wrote on Facebook: “Looks like you can’t even own a path in Whitefield anymore.” The woman shared pictures showing gaps where five or six flagstones used to be. Thieves often steal from private pathways while church grounds are also typically targeted for the valuable York stone, with an example being St Mary’s Church in Prestwich two years ago. The crime has been happening in rural areas The victim of the latest attack said she wants to speak out to raise awareness claiming that thieves were “doing the rounds” and other thefts of flagstones had been reported. “On the same night I looked on Facebook groups and there were other people saying that they had been done,” the mum-of-two told the Manchester Evening News. “These people are clearly doing the rounds so I just want people to be aware, really.” She said the flagstones stolen had been down for around 70 to 80 years, and revealed she has been told the stones can fetch a price of around £160 per square metre. “I just want people to know it’s going on,” she added. “And if there is an ounce of conscience with the people who have done this. “I woke up on Monday morning to find it had happened. Half the pathway was missing. I posted it on Facebook and that is when other people came forward to say they had been targeted as well. According to one local Facebook group, there were several thefts overnight within close proximity to each other. At least four that I know of, with many more over the last few weeks in this area. Trending SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info