'They could've burnt it down' - Police investigating after intruders film themselves inside historic County Hall

Police are investigating footage of intruders filming themselves inside Wakefield Council’s County Hall building, a meeting heard.

West Yorkshire Police has confirmed the force had been alerted by the local authority to online videos which appear to show a group of men entering the Grade I-listed building through a window before filming inside.

One 24-minute clip shows the men inside the council chamber, former meeting rooms and staff rooms, with one climbing a ladder to the bell tower.

During the footage, one of the men claims the building had been “left and abandoned” by the council.

Afterwards he says: “The fact that it’s open like that is insane to me. So hopefully the security teams get on that, lock it down, because it’s just mad.”

Details of the security breach at the Grade I-listed building emerged as councillors discussed plans for the future of the authority’s property estate at a corporate and resources overview and scrutiny committee meeting.

Chad Thomas, Reform UK councillor for Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton, asked the council’s deputy leader John Thomas: “They are making out it’s lost and abandoned.

“The question is, number one, how did they get in? And two, is there not 24-hour security on this place? Because they could have done anything. They could have burnt it down. It could have cost taxpayers in Wakefield millions.

“I’m just wondering is there any money for extra security to prevent anything like that from happening again? There is nothing lost and abandoned about this building. They have basically just broken in and started filming.”

The deputy leader replied: “They are claiming it is lost and abandoned and it’s neither of those two things. It is still in use. They claimed they went in through an open window so they didn’t break and enter.

“It has been reported to West Yorkshire Police who are now investigating. There is now 24-7 security on site.”

Senior councillors of the Reform-led authority last week agreed to replace the roof and carry out repairs at the building at a cost of £14m after surveyors described it as “structurally weak”, with ceilings at risk of collapse due to leaks.

Seven years ago, the former Labour administration was told that urgent repair work was required on the 19th Century building, which was then used for most council meetings and was a workplace for almost 500 staff.

The council announced a temporary closure of County Hall in 2022, blaming soaring energy costs required to heat the building.

The building is still used to hold monthly full council meetings but is now mostly unoccupied, apart from the ground floor and archive storage areas in the basement.

County Hall was home to the West Riding of Yorkshire County Council from 1898 until 1974, when the new West Yorkshire County Council inherited the building.

Wakefield Council acquired it in 1987 after the County Council was abolished the previous year.