Water company fights metal thefts

A water company has stepped up security and introduced a number of new initiatives to combat increasing incidents of metal thefts.

Severn Trent Water said thefts of copper, stainless steel and iron from sewage and water treatment sites had cost the company £500,000 since April.

The company said health and safety issues were also at stake.

Among the measures being put in place was a trial using a special grease which could be used to mark the metals.

Alternative materials

The marking system is expected to make it easier for police to identify both the stolen metals and the culprits.

Pete Leatherland, security manager for Severn Trent Water, said: "We aren't alone in experiencing a rise in this kind of theft.

"It's not just the costs of replacement and repair that are making us determined to tackle this problem, there are health and safety issues at stake.

"We're making sure replacements are made of a different material such as glass-reinforced plastic, which has no resale value to the scrap metal market."

Police in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are working with Severn Trent to find ways of making their sites less vulnerable.

It is estimated metal theft is costing British industry £360m a year.