Police forces from Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon and Cornwall made 14 arrests and seized documents in a coordinated ‘day of action’ against illegal metal practices last week (6 March).

The UK government has been focusing on cracking down on metal theft and last month passed the Scrap Metal Dealers Bill, in an attempt to make it easier to trace rogue sellers and improve accountability by prohibiting dealers from using cash payments when buying scrap metal. Further, the new law gives police the power to shut unlicensed premises through the courts.

In order to ‘ensure compliance’ with the recently-passed law, officers from across the region carried out stop checks on commercial vehicles and vans in an effort to identify stolen metal and disrupt possible criminal activity which resulted in 14 arrests, vehicles being confiscated, as well as fixed penalty notices and prohibitions being issued.

Ten arrests were made in Devon and Cornwall for various offences, such as non-compliance, handling stolen goods and theft, while three arrests were made in Frome following officers identifying stolen cable in a van. Police made a further arrest in South Gloucestershire after finding evidence of ‘large scale cable theft’ and the theft of a trailer.

In addition, scrap yards across the region also received visits to ensure compliance with Operation Tornado (which stipulates that anyone selling scrap metal to a dealer must provide identification at the point of sale), which saw ‘thousands of documents and records’ checked with some seized by police watchdog Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) for further investigation.

Speaking of the recent actions, regional Police Lead for tackling metal theft and Superintendent from Avon and Somerset Police, Mark Saunders, said: "Operation Tornado and the recent legislation changes have really constricted the market for thieves, particularly the more opportunist thief, making it more difficult for them to sell on stolen metal and easier for us to trace. The majority of scrap yards are legitimate and compliant businesses who are working closely with us.”

‘Relentless in tackling metal theft’

Avon and Somerset Police claimed that these measures, as well as ‘the proactive and intrusive approach the region has taken since setting up a designated regional team’, have led to the number of recorded metal thefts dropping 50 per cent across the south west in the past ten months, with the figure as being high as 75 per cent in Avon and Somerset.

Superintendent Saunders added: “We will continue to work with our police colleagues, partner agencies and commercial industries to take an intrusive approach in dealing with the thieves and handlers who make money at a cost to each and every tax payer.

"Last week's day of action is just one of a range of ongoing overt and covert tactics to prevent and detect this and other related crime and we will be relentless in tackling metal theft."

Councils have also been cracking down on metal theft, with Rhonnda Cynon Taf council recently reporting that it issued £2,675 in fines to illegal scrap metal collectors between September 2012 and February 2013.

Speaking of the council’s efforts, Nigel Wheeler, Director for Streetcare at Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, said: “The council is working closely with many different organisations and has forged a good working relationship with South Wales Police. We will catch those who continue to steal from tax payers.”

Read more about the Scrap Metal Dealers Bill.