Last month, 10 churches in the west of the county alone suffered thefts.

Delegates were given advice on preventing thefts and possible measures appropriate to the circumstances or budget of each individual church.

These included installing CCTV with infra-red facility and using lead substitute products.

Northamptonshire's Deputy Chief Constable Davina Logan said a senior investigator had been appointed to focus police action and officers have been targeting scrap yards and other potential outlets for stolen metal.