Police crackdown on metal thefts

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Incidents of scrap metal theft have increased 150% in the past year

Gwent Police are staging a second day of stop and search to tackle the growing problem of metal theft.

The force is one of 38 across the UK targeting an illegal industry said to be worth £360m per year, with offences rising some 150% in two years.

Officers have visited nine sites across the force area and made eight arrests, with more expected later.

The stolen metal includes statues, drain hole covers, metal from church roofs and signalling cable.

Only this week, thieves looking for platinum stole an exhaust and catalytic converter from a minibus used by disabled children at a Monmouthshire school.

We're picking up people who are on benefits and scrap working on the side Pauline Lohfink, police community support officer Dealers' key role against theft Metal thieves steal bus exhaust

One location targeted by Operation Steel was Polo Grounds Industrial Estate in Pontypool where spot checks were made on vehicles visiting two scrap metal yards.

Mark Scaife, of Environment Agency Wales's environmental crime team, said the background to the problem was scrap metal prices "going through the roof".

He said: "Five or six years ago I had a scrap car and I had to pay £50 to have it removed.

"Now, for just scrap metal, you are looking at between £200 to £300 a tonne depending on where you take it."

Customs, pensions and transport officials also made spot checks to ensure vehicles were taxed, insured and roadworthy, and that drivers were not working while claiming benefits.

Pauline Lohfink, a police community support officer, said: "It's been very successful so far.

"We're picking up people who are on benefits and scrap working on the side.

"We've had one vehicle in where I think every agency was involved.

The scrap value of a car can be as much as £140, say metal dealers

"There was no insurance, two of them were on benefits and the vehicle was not roadworthy and was seized."

Police insist that metal theft is "not a victimless crime".

Paul Crowther, British Transport Police assistant chief constable, said: "Thousands of people have seen their community facilities stolen or damaged by thieves looking for a quick gain, or have suffered service disruption to railways and telecoms."

Scrap dealer Mark Lloyd, of Fred Lloyd and Sons, said he was always careful to take customers' details so they could be passed on to police if necessary.

He said: "If you turn up with scrap and you've got no ID we will take your vehicle registration.

"If there was something stolen, you can give police the vehicle registration that brought it in.

"We won't buy anything unless there's a vehicle we can take the ID off."

Much of Mr Lloyd's business is scrap cars and he estimated that an average family car would now have a value of £120 to £140, instead of nothing a few years ago.

He added that all the scrap metal brought to the yard was recycled with much of it exported to China, where there was a huge demand for steel.

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