One downfall of increased demand for metal building materials?

Australian police have warned of a bizarre crime wave as thieves strip millions of dollars' worth of metal from steel buildings to ship to China and other countries where demand is soaring.

Thousands of properties - including hundreds of churches and other historic or commercial metal building structures with lead roofs - have been targeted by organized gangs that sell the metal to unscrupulous dealers.

It's then shipped, either as scrap or after being melted down, to countries such as India, China and Dubai.

Ecclesiastical Insurance, which covers most Church of England properties, said lead thefts had tripled and copper thefts risen tenfold since 2005.