Hundreds of “damaging and costly” thefts of metal has hit businesses and people across Merseyside.
Theft of metal including from railways, statues, church roofs, and cars is believed to cost the UK economy up to £1 billion each year. Last year in Merseyside alone, criminals stole metal on 248 occasions - the equivalent of five thefts each week.
That was a slight fall of 2% from 254 crimes in the year ending March 2021, but 10% higher than during the year before the coronavirus pandemic, when there were 225 offences. Some 18% of thefts of metal last year were targeted against Merseyside’s infrastructure (45 crimes).
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That means metal has been removed that directly impacts the functioning of infrastructure or the fabric of a building or machinery. That includes railway cabling, roofing lead, manhole covers, catalytic converters taken from a car, and any metals that are connected to live services such as water, heating, or electricity.
The rest of the thefts were of non-infrastructure-related metal, which could include metal gates and war memorial plaques. The British Transport Police told the ECHO there have been hundreds of arrests in relation to metal crime.
BTP Superintendent Mark Cleland: "Our approach to tackling metal crime has been to work with enforcement and national infrastructure partners to disrupt crime and to identify those who use the waste industry to move stolen property.
"In the last 18 months using this approach we have made hundreds of arrests and recovered thousands of items of stolen property. If you spot something at a railway station, contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40.
"Alternatively, anonymous reports can be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111."
Nationally there were 30,115 crimes of metal theft in England and Wales last year - which was the highest number of offences since just after the Scrap Metal Dealers Act was introduced in 2013.
The Act requires scrap metal dealers to verify the identity and publish the address of people they receive metal from. It also stops them from buying scrap metal for cash. During the year ending March 2014 - as the Act began to be enforced - there were 41,732 crimes of metal theft. But since then offences have been considerably lower.
However, last year, metal theft increased for the third consecutive year. Offending was also 58% higher than in the year ending March 2021 (19,044 offences) and 73% higher than the pre- pandemic year (17,446).
Councillor Nesil Caliskan, chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: "While the Scrap Metal Dealers Act worked initially in contributing to a drop in metal theft rates when it came into force, rates have risen due to a range of factors, not least the significant increase in metal prices.
"Metal theft can affect a range of people and businesses and is extremely damaging and costly. Councils target their resources as efficiently as possible and do what they can to support businesses to meet the requirements of the legislation and can take enforcement action where issues are identified.
"Councils have limited powers to tackle unlicensed operators and the LGA is calling on the Government to update the Scrap Metal Dealers Act and introduce an offence of receiving cash for scrap metal and advertising ‘cash for scrap’ to act as a deterrent.
"Specific funding to support enforcement would also help local authorities and police take joint action to tackle this issue."
Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for metal crime, said: "Global availability and supply chain issues have contributed to a resurgence of metal crime in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Construction and infrastructure have been in short supply and coupled with increases in metal prices, economic pressures have likely contributed to increased reporting of metal theft.
"The NPCC and industry partners recognise the significant impact metal crime has on national infrastructure and the UK economy. Policing coordinates operational activity in metal crime hotspots in partnership with industries, police forces and enforcement partners.
"In April 2021 and February 2022, we conducted operations resulting in 87 arrests and disruption of a number of organised crime groups. We will continue to work hard to tackle metal theft, linking in with the most vulnerable organisations and offering preventative measures and reacting quickly to reports."
