The county's largest local authority has confirmed roof damage to one of its historic buildings was caused by lead thieves.

Scaffolding was erected around the Old Town Hall in Gravesend High Street in October to allow for repairs to be made to the venue following an inspection.

The owner of neighbouring Aslamtex, Ejaz Aslam, claimed the building has been targeted by criminals stealing lead after his shop was also hit.

The businessman said the damage to his property’s roof was extensive and could cost around £40,000 to fix.

Lead is a popular construction material used on the top of buildings as it is resistant to corrosion and keeps water out.

For this reason, theft of the material is growing increasingly common as it is an expensive commodity.

When it is ripped off, it is not always noticeable until water starts seeping through the building and it can also cause other damage as thieves walk over and potentially crack tiles and break other fixtures.

This means it can be an expensive job to fix as much of the roof may need repairing or replacing.

However, when KentOnline approached Kent County Council (KCC), which owns the Grade II* listed building, for comment on the claims a spokesman declined to say whether it was due to lead theft.

Instead, they said its appointed contractor had recently inspected the property “in respect of reinstatement, repair, and replacement of various elements of the roof”.

This month the scaffolding surrounding the Old Town Hall was removed as repair work was completed.

KentOnline has since reapproached KCC and a spokeswoman confirmed the roof damage was caused by the theft of lead.

They said the incident had been reported to the police but could not comment on the cost of the project due to an ongoing insurance claim.

The Old Town Hall was first built in 1573 but has been remodelled several times throughout its history to create more space.