12 July 2012 Last updated at 07:05 ET

Sheffield Central Library's bronze handrails stolen

The bronze and brass handrails leading up to Sheffield Central Library main doors were stolen over the weekend

Ornate brass and bronze art deco handrails have been stolen from a South Yorkshire library.

The rails were ripped from their casings at the Central Library on Surrey Street in Sheffield, the council said.

The two handrails have elaborate curved ends and are thought to be originals from the 1930s building.

The thefts happened over the weekend and are linked to the rise in scrap metal crime, the council said.

The library, which is well-known for its distinctive and ornate interior metalwork, was opened in July 1934 by the Queen Mother - then Duchess of York.

Andrew Milroy, acting head of Sheffield Libraries, said the handrails were well secured and it must have been "quite a job" to remove them.

They were snapped off between 17:30 BST on Saturday and Monday morning when staff discovered the theft, the council said.

Ornate metalwork

Mr Milroy said the value was not yet known but to replace the handrails would be "fairly costly".

Sheffield Central Library was opened on 5 July 1934 by the Queen Mother

"The Central Library is a much-loved and listed building so we need to take advice from the council's conservation and listings officer as to what to put back in their place," he said.

Over the past six months door handles and metalwork were stolen from the Children's Library entrance further down Surrey Street, and fittings from internal doors inside the main building were also stolen.

Mr Milroy said the council was taking steps to improve the CCTV coverage of the library,

The council said an alternative accessible entrance can be found on Arundel Gate.

Anyone with information about the thefts should contact Sheffield Council or South Yorkshire Police.