The historic Chantry Chapel, on Wakefield Bridge, one of three such chapels in the country, was targeted over the weekend.

Worshippers for a harvest service on Sunday were shocked to discover the damage when they noticed light coming through the ceiling.

All the lead covering the roof had been stripped and the front of the chapel was damaged, with three crenallations destroyed.

Vice-Dean of Wakefield, the Rev Canon Michael Rawson, said he was shocked at the discovery.

He said: “It is a real sadness that such a historic building like this can be vandalised in this way – and that the money the thieves will receive for the stolen lead will be just a fraction of the price it will cost to replace it, which could be £30,000.”

Tarpaulin has covered the roof since the damage was discovered, but rain did cause some damage to the chapel over the weekend.

Mr Rawson said: “We were very lucky the weather wasn’t worse when the lead was missing as the damage could have been considerable. Lead theft at churches seems to be so popular now there is a limit on what insurers pay out, but we are hoping they will cover the cost.”

Last month the Express reported that lead theft from churches and other buildings had reached epidemic proportions.

Ecclesiastical Insurance Agency figures rank the city as the fourth worst hit area in the country.

Chairman of the Friends of Wakefield Chantry Chapel group, Kate Taylor, said: “It is destroying – we have spent 17 years steadily raising money to restore the chapel and it was only re-roofed in the 1990s.

“To see this damage now is just heartbreaking – the Chapel is Wakefield’s greatest treasure.

“Maintaining the Chantry is a steady problem, partly because the stone it is made of crumbles easily. We have been lucky in a way that the damage was discovered quickly as the ceiling is very vulnerable.”

The thieves struck at the Chantry Chapel between 5pm on Friday and 3pm on Sunday.