Church bell stolen from Mallala community amid wave of metal thefts
Local councils are calling for a crackdown on the black market for stolen metal amid a growing wave of thefts from monuments and community sites, including of a cherished church bell.
A cherished church bell from St Peters Anglican Church in Mallala has been stolen, joining a series of metal thefts across South Australia. Recently, plaques from Burnside District Fallen Soldiers Memorial in Rose Park and The Gums Reserve War Memorial Garden in Tranmere were stolen as well. The SA government is considering quicker implementation of laws to crack down on the sale of stolen metal, with mayors urging urgent action.
The theft has been condemned by the local mayor, Mark Wasley, who emphasized that the bell is a time capsule of the community's history. The bell, believed to be over a century old, was stolen from outside the church sometime this month and is estimated to weigh more than one person could carry. Police are investigating the theft, which occurred between October 2 and October 8.
SA Police emphasized the significance of the bell in marking important occasions throughout generations. The mayor of Adelaide Plains, Anne Monceaux, described the loss of the plaques as devastating and called for tighter regulation of scrap metal sales and stricter penalties against those involved in the theft.
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