Valuable materials from buildings have been stolen and sold on, both now and in the past.

This is a witness statement from the Bristol Court of Quarter Sessions in 1796. John Williams had been employed to watch over unfinished houses in the parish of St Paul. He describes stopping two boys, Henry Williams and Samuel Smith, from breaking into one of the houses. Together with two other boys, Henry and Samuel had stripped large amounts of lead from the unfinished houses around Portland Square and sold it to Hugh Rumley, who 'never used to ask any questions'