Thieves targeting historic hall

A couple who are ploughing their money into renovating a Grade II-listed building to create their dream family home say vandals and thieves are persistently targeting them.
Nahim Hussain is trying to renovate Lupset Hall and is having problems with vandals and thieves.Nahim Hussain is trying to renovate Lupset Hall and is having problems with vandals and thieves.
Nahim Hussain is trying to renovate Lupset Hall and is having problems with vandals and thieves.

Nahim Hussain and his partner Karen Shurrock paid more than £310,000 at auction for Lupset Hall in April 2014 and plan to restore the 18th century building to a five-bedroom property and move in with their family.

But during the past month they have endured numerous separate incidents in which 15 sections of windows have been smashed nd more than 25 square metres of expensive 200-year-old Yorkshire stone flagstones were stolen. A van on the site was also broken into.

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The couple have now even moved from Bradford into the unfinished building in an effort to stop the persistent criminal activities.

Mr Hussain, a 56-year-old IT worker, said: “We have been working on it since we bought in 2014, we just want to bring it back to its former glory.

“I don’t know at this point exactly how much we’ve spent on it, but it’s been a lot.

“It’s become a full-time job.

“We bought it because we thought it looked really nice, and wanted to help restore it.

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“I’m angry with what is happening, it’s not just the monetary value, it’s destroying heritage.

“They won’t put us off, in fact it’s given me more encouragement, but it’s not just a case of putting windows back, everything has to be done right because it’s a Grade-II listed building.”

Anyone with details of the damage or theft is being asked to contact police on 101 and quote reference number 0028131017 from October 13.

Lupset Hall was last used as City of Wakefield Golf Course club house.

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A former gentleman’s residence located off Horbury Road, the building dates back to 1716.

It was bought for the Gaskell family in 1806 and was home to Daniel Gaskell - Wakefield’s first MP in 1832.

It was sold to the corporation of Wakefield for £6,370 in 1927.

In 1936 the park land surrounding Lupset Hall was converted into a municipal golf course and the hall itself became the club house.

The club moved out of Lupset Hall and into the new purpose-built Gaskell Sports Pavilion in April, 2013, a year before the hall went under the hammer.