British Entrepreneur/Looter Uses Google Maps to Identify Targets
British Entrepreneur/Looter Uses Google Maps to Identify Targets
Posted 03/18/2009 at 11:17am
| by Andy Salisbury
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In the most recent case of Google Earth being used for mischief, British Builder Tom Berge used the program to zoom in on historic buildings before stripping them of nearly $227,000 worth of lead from their roofs.
The area that was afflicted by this thieving Brit was primarily South London, where nary a museum, church or school was spared. The 27-year-old admitted to using Google Earth to aid him in more than 30 locations. Berge was served with eight months of jail time and 100 hours of community service.
According to Detective Sergeant Chris Grant, who was in charge of the investigation, “He was a prolific offender up until the time he was arrested. Since then our crime figures for theft of lead have reduced significantly.”
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BroadSide
March 19, 2009 at 12:32pm
Lead roofs aren't as common now because lead is so dangerous. Too much roof licking and you go crazy or worse. There a still a lot in Britain which is a contributing factor to their eccentricity. In Canada, where we have asphalt shingles, you just get a sore tongue from the rough texture but in Britain, you go mental.
Vegan
March 18, 2009 at 3:58pm
Lead roofs? Wtf? Doesn't sound like the most thermally sound roofing material.
Keith E. Whisman
March 18, 2009 at 4:20pm
Actually lead is used alot. Those pipes you see coming out of your roof are made of lead. The lead is extremely maliable and is easy to contour. Lead is used to seal seams in your roof around pipes that come out of the roof and around your roof AC unit and vents. All lead.
I used to work as a night watchman at a roofing company and I used to inspect the materials everynight so that I would know if anyone messed with the stuff and the actual roofers answered all the questions I asked of them.
Now back in the day befor we had shingles, roofs were covered in thin sheets of lead because it's cheap and easy to work with and it doesn't rust the way tin rusts. Lead seems to last alot longer. And you can paint the lead roof with lead based paint. So then you would have a colored lead painted lead roof.
And also toy soldiers used to be made of lead and bullets are still made of lead with a copper and tin coating known as a jacket but your pencils no longer use lead because that would be bad.
jcollins
March 18, 2009 at 1:31pm
My question is, how much freaking lead is on the roofs of places? It's not exactly the most environmentally wise thing to have all over the place.
horzo
March 18, 2009 at 12:22pm
Clearly, this is the most compelling evidence yet all information should be banned. Down with knowledge!
Keith E. Whisman
March 18, 2009 at 12:38pm
LOL... I'm scared. Mr. Government please protect me and take control of everything.
Keith E. Whisman
March 18, 2009 at 11:36am
Good Grief it looks like Christ is a Detective in the London Police department.
Christ has returned and he is a cop in England.
I just wanted to touch on this here that it looks like that dude is suffering from lead poisoning. I can't back that up as I don't know what it looks like but it sure does sound funny.
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