Wetter walls and dry rot has resulted from a spate of thefts at a church in Lancashire. St John the Divine is riddled with the rot after damp has set in through areas where protective lead was stolen. The vicar, Father Keith Henshall, explained it is worse when thefts go unnoticed. He said: "We haven't realised the lead has gone and we've only become aware of it as the walls have got wetter and that has undoubtedly exacerbated our problems with dry rot."