TEN tonnes of lead has been stolen from crumbling seafront arches in a series of Christmas raids.

Copper was also stripped from a roof during the attack on the Grade II listed Madeira Terrace in Brighton.

A police chief described the act as a “crime against the city”.

The seafront architecture is the centre of an ongoing campaign to see the “window to Brighton” restored to its former glory.

But devastated campaigners say the theft of the materials, which were ripped from roofs and shelters, means restoration will cost the city much more.

They questioned why no security was in place to protect the listed architecture, which was built in the 1800s.

In an appeal for witnesses, Chief Superintendent of Sussex Police Nick May said: “Please help us solve this crime against the city.”

Police believe the raiders struck between 11pm on Monday, December 23, and 1.40am on Boxing Day.

Thieves stripped lead, estimated to weight some ten tonnes, from three shelters nearby.

The thieves also ripped copper from the roof of the restored, and still operational, Victorian lift which connects Marine Parade and Madeira Drive.

Russell Haynes, owner of the nearby Concorde 2 club, said: “I drove down to the club just before Christmas and I glanced up at the terrace above.

“There are three shelters on the terraces and, at the time, the very east one was still intact, the middle roof was hanging off and the one to the west was stripped.”

Mr Haynes said he informed authorities of the discovery at the time but after going back after Christmas, all three shelters had been stripped.

He added: “It’s just crazy, I sent a round-robin email advising there’s no protection.

“It looks like a war zone I can’t believe how they got away with it.”

Jax Atkins, from the Save Madeira Terraces Campaign, said: “We raised money to restore three arches more than two years ago but people have been dragging their heels and work is still yet to start.

“The council failed to protect our arches and now we will have to pay thousands of pounds more for restoration.”

The Argus asked Brighton and Hove City Council, which own the arches, whether any security measures will now be put in place.

A council spokesman said: “We are deeply saddened by these acts of vandalism.

“We contacted the police as soon as we became aware of them.

“We will need to conduct a detailed assessment of the damage before deciding how best to restore the structures and protect them in future.”