Cheaper heritage plaques to put off the thieves (From York Press)

Cheaper metal heritage plaques used on York buildings to put off thieves

9:16am Saturday 19th January 2013 in News By Richard Catton, richard.catton@thepress.co.uk

An example of the new York Civic Trust plaques, which are intended to be less attractive to thieves, is held aloft by Peter Addyman, trust chairman, and Peter Brown, its director

HERITAGE bosses in York are replacing historical plaques throughout the city with ones made from cheaper metal following a series of thefts.

York Civic Trust said it will replace the bronze commemorative plates, which appear on historically significant sites throughout the city, with cheaper aluminium ones, which are less attractive to thieves.

Trust director Peter Brown said: “For plaques in bronze we are talking about £1,500, but aluminium is a fraction of that. We thought it would be wise to carry on down that road.

“They are much cheaper but are still of a high standard and quality.”

Mr Brown said the fact that the civic trust had been forced to take such action was “a sad reflection on society”.

He also revealed that a plaque stolen from the statue of the Roman emperor Constantine outside York Minster would be replaced with a slate version.

Other plaques taken in recent years include one commemorating the baptism of Guy Fawkes at St Michael le Belfrey Church; one marking the location of the Queen’s Path near the Minster; and one to Miles Coverdale, the 16th-century Bible translator, which was sited near to the Minster bookshop.

Mr Brown also said the trust was looking into marking more of York’s heritage with the historical plaques. He said: “Apart from replacing the ones which have been stolen, a lot of organisations are coming forward to ask if we can add them.

“For example, the Yorkshire Gentlemen’s Cricket Club has asked us for a plaque where they were founded 150 years ago at Harkers Hotel, which is now the Edinburgh Woollen Mill in St Helen’s Square.

“We are really keen to do something to commemorate Joseph Rowntree and his former shop on Pavement.”