THIEVES have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a historic building.

As the Leader reported last month, raiders stripped bare the 100-year-old lodge on the 11th century Bailey Hill settlement site in Mold in order to get at valuable copper piping.

A survey of the damage has now been carried out by Mold Town Council and estimates suggest it could cost between £20,000 and £35,000 to put right. Mold town councillor Andrea Mearns, who is also a member of Friends of Bailey Hill group, suspects the final figure will be closer to £20,000.

She said: “They have stripped out all the copper – it’s been yanked from the ceiling and from the floors.

“It’s a shame because it’s probably only a couple of hundred pounds worth of copper taken, but it’s caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.”

The Flintshire Council-owned cottage has been boarded up for a year since its custodian left.

Mold Town Council is in talks with Flintshire Council about taking over the lease of the empty lodge.

Town councillors say they want to see a custodian back in the cottage and earlier this year launched a petition calling on the local authority to take action to prevent anti-social behaviour on the hill.

The town and county councils are now in talks over how the damage will be paid for.

Neal Cockerton, head of assets and transportation at Flintshire Council, said: “The county council has secured the building as thoroughly as possible and regularly inspects it.”