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EDIT News Extra Aug22_000_PSI_mar15 27/07/2022 16:04 Page 1

NEWS EXTRA

Combatting metal theft risks Metal theft is reportedly on the rise again so why and how should you advise your customers about security measures and prevention?

Anything made of metal has a scrap value, but the favoured materials for thieves are copper, lead, aluminium, brass, and bronze

e use the term precious metal to describe gold, silver and platinum, plus a few rarities. Other than that, many think of metal as heavy and cheap. But, in fact, a tonne of scrap copper can get you between £6,000 to £7,000. Metal theft is a real issue, and it’s one that’s getting worse, after a previous period of marked improvement.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act In 2013, the government passed the Scrap Metal Dealers Act. The act established a licensing system for anyone dealing in scrap metal or motor salvage. Buyers would have to ask for photo ID, and cash transactions were banned. At first, the new system worked extremely well. The number of metal thefts recorded by police in England and Wales fell from 62,000 to 13,000 in just four years. But, those numbers are now on

the rise again. Figures remain lower than the peak – recorded by Statista as 2012/13 – though there are concerns that organised gangs are stealing more now in each case, meaning that simple incident counts may not tell the whole story. There are two key reasons why things are getting worse. The World Bank’s Metals and Minerals Price Index went up by half in 2021 (though it seems to be stabilising now). And, here’s what the CEO of the British Metals Recycling Association said when asked to name the biggest challenge his industry faced: “The lack of enforcement of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013. Put simply neither the police nor local authorities have the funding to tackle cash-paying operatives. The illegal operators know this and now openly flout the law and even advertise that they will pay cash for scrap metal.” The association is calling for the reinstatement of the Metal Theft Taskforce – the body whose assessment led to the 2013 law. Anything made of metal has a scrap value, but the favoured materials for thieves are copper, lead, aluminium, brass, and bronze. Copper is at most risk. Lower value metals like steel will be targeted if they are easy to take – there are numerous thefts of covers from drains and manholes, for example. Vacant properties – commercial and domestic – are at the most risk, but there are also opportunistic thefts from busy places, generally during unoccupied hours. Sheds and other outbuildings are common targets. Prevention measures that installers can suggest in addition to installing CCTV and alarms systems include actions as simple as moving metal out of sight wherever possible to spraying metals with a forensic traceable liquid and signposting the fact that this is present.

Where are the UK’s metal theft hotspots? Roofing Megastore has used a Freedom of Information (FOI) request with UK police forces to discover the cities and towns in the UK which have the most reported building materials such as copper and lead stolen over the past five years. Sheffield and Preston are the cities with the most building material thefts, each with 482 reported crimes since 2017. Nine out of the top ten cities with the most reported thefts are based in the north of the country, with towns and cities including Burnley, Doncaster, and Barnsley all ranking in the top ten. Ten cities that fall under Lancashire Constabulary ranked in the top 25 list, while three cities from the Humberside area also placed in the top 25. Cities and towns governed by the South Yorkshire Police only appeared four times in the top 25 list, however the four towns that were included (Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield), each reported over 245 total crimes, placing them in the top ten. Amongst the northern destinations which ranked in the top 25 cities, were three towns from Kent (Canterbury, Ashford and Margate), and towns in the middle and south of England, including Norwich, Worksop South and Dudley. One Welsh town made the top 25 list, with Llanelli reporting 105 building material thefts since 2017.