Government to crack down on metal theft

13 January 2009

The government has set up a National Metal Theft Crime Unit as part of a major clampdown on metal theft throughout the country. The unit, a six-week pilot project, will focus on scrap metal dealers who are illegally handling metal stolen from church roofs and public utilities such as man-hole covers and even telephone lines.

Home Office minister Alan Campbell said metal thieves cost Britain £360 million a year. “Metal theft is not a victimless crime. It is a serious problem with consequences for business and infrastructure, from damaged electricity and telephone cables to leaking church roofs. Metal theft has even caused power cuts and closed rail lines.” 


The Unit, which will be run by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the British Transport Police (BTP) and jointly funded by the Home Office and the Energy Networks Association, will share best practice ideas with police forces throughout England and Wales to highlight the tools and powers available to tackle this problem.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Crowther of the BTP and ACPO welcomed the commitment from the Home Office to assist us in tackling this major crime. “Police forces across the UK have devoted considerable resources to driving down this type of crime, through targeted policing including intelligence-led operations, proactive patrols using dogs and off-road motorbikes and scrap yard visits.”



Ecclesiastical Insurance, which insures 95 per cent of Anglican churches in the UK, around 16,500 churches, also welcomed the move after reporting 2008 their worst year for claims. The firm handled 2,400 claims and paid out £9.2 million in compensation. In 2005 Ecclesiastical handled 80 claims for a total £300,000.

No church is safe whether in a city centre or isolated village, and they steal anything they can get their hands on, said a spokesperson. “The vast majority of theft, 80 to 90 per cent, is lead from roofs. But they also steal copper roofing, guttering, cast iron gates, statues and even bells weighing several tones. We have instances of thieves using heavy lifting equipment to get a bells.”

In 2007 Ecclesiastical began handing out what they smart auto kits to churches so they can stamp objects for identification. Any scrap dealer found handling items with these stamps will be reported to the police, said the spokesperson.

“The real message is for the community to keep an eye out for their church,” he said.