United Kingdom – The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has urged a ‘joined-up approach’ if metal theft is to be eradicated.
Its comment comes as the government response to a House of Commons Transport Select Committee committed no new funding to combat cable theft on the railways. It has been suggested previously in the media that, in the UK, metal theft is the biggest threat to the rail network after terrorism.
The BMRA’s Director General Ian Hetherington says: ‘While the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill will ban cash purchases for scrap metal, this alone will not work. A cash ban needs to be part of a more thorough approach. The government has already acknowledged the need to replace the Scrap Metal Dealers Act as soon as possible, as it currently allows large numbers of operators to operate outside the licensing and inspection regime.’
Mr Hetherington adds that it is ‘imperative’ that regulatory reforms are brought forward ‘without delay’, preferably to be implemented alongside a ban on cash ‘in order for it to be effective in tackling metal theft whilst protecting legitimate businesses.’
The BMRA understands that metal theft levels in the UK have dropped in recent months but the organisation remains ‘genuinely concerned’ that an increase in commodities prices or a decrease in police focus on the issue ‘would spark another rise’, says Mr Hetherington.
For more information, visit: www.recyclemetals.org
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