THE roof tiles on an ancient well house in Derryhill were stolen weeks before restoration work on the monument was set to begin.

Thieves wearing yellow hard hats stripped the tiles off the building, at the bottom of Derryhill, and then drove off in a white Transit van, with Millstone written on the side in black masking tape. Police neighbours assumed the men were restoration workers and failed to raise the alarm until it was too late.

Calne Without Parish Council chairman Derick Eadon said: "People in the village are in shock and are saddened that people could stoop this low. But I think they are pleased that the repairs will go ahead and the Wiltshire Historical Buildings Trust are with us and were not going to let this stop us.

"The repairs are still going ahead but the builders will have to use different tiles.

"The project will cost more, but the day they were stolen North Wiltshire District Council agreed to help us with a £1,000 grant."

Sergeant Nic Shorten, of Calne police, said: "Everyone who drove past just assumed the restoration work, which has been in the pipeline for some time, had begun."

A neighbour eventually rang the police as the men drove off, but the number plate proved to be false. Neighbours have been told to call the police if they notice any suspicious vehicles near the building and the building restorers have been given instructions to notify residents before they arrive.

Barriers have been put up around the building to prevent future thefts.