ROOFTOP raiders are causing chaos for Huddersfield businesses.

Metal thieves working 80 feet above the streets have struck repeatedly in the town centre, causing thousands of pounds of damage.

Richard Downey spoke out yesterday after an attack at his business left him with a £2,000 repair bill.

The owner of Rock Cafe on Ramsden Street said: “They aren’t just stealing copper piping, this is wanton vandalism and there’s no need for it.”

Metal thieves damaged air conditioning units on the roof of the Huddersfield bar and have also struck at other firms.

Mr Downey said: “Someone came up to the roof late at night and took all the copper piping that feeds the three air conditioning units.

“Two metres of metal was stolen. It’s worth about £25 but repairing the damage has cost £2,000.

“We’ve had to re-pipe the units and bore through the wall to make sure there’s as little metal pipe as possible exposed to the open air in case they come back to try to do it again.

“We’re having scaffolding put round this piping and two-inch thick plating welded on to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Mr Downey, who has run Rock Cafe since it opened 17 years ago, said the units were crucial for the bar, which has room for 260 customers.

“We need air conditioning, it’s a vital part of our business,” he said.

“If we get a warm night and a capacity crowd then we need air conditioning or else people won’t stay.

Mr Downey added that other Huddersfield businesses had suffered metal thefts.