A lead thief who used Google Earth to steal from school buildings cost the council close to £150,000 in insurance claims.

Sutton Council footed the bill on the thefts carried out in school buildings last year by Tom Berge, 28, from Wallington, who was jailed in April for 12 months.

Berge, who used Google Earth to target buildings with lead tiles to fund his champagne lifestyle, cost the tax payer £142,150 in the last financial year, according to the council accounts.

On one occasion, Berge’s actions caused damage to a building at St Philomena’s Catholic School for Girls worth £36,070.

Councillor John Drage, executive member for resources on Sutton council, said: “There was a spate of lead thefts across the borough in 2007 and 2008, and local schools were affected.

“The police have caught and successfully prosecuted a repeat offender twice in the past six months for stealing lead, including from a number of our schools, as well as listed buildings and churches.

“As a result of the insurance claims all affected schools have repaired their buildings with non-lead materials to deter thieves.

“We have not received any claims from local schools for lead theft in the current financial year.”

Sutton Magistrates heard in April how Berge would find a potential target on the popular internet tool, which shows aerial photographs of towns across the world, to pinpoint buildings with lead roof tiles.

He would then scale its roof, take the valuable roof materials and abseil down the side of the building, before selling the lead to scrap metal dealers.

The council spent a total of £1.6 million in insurance claims across the borough in the last financial year.