Taxpayers Face 'Massive' Cost Of Metal Theft

Police forces across the country are being forced to tackle the rapid growth of metal theft, which costs the UK £770m a year.

It is a crime that some are willing to risk their lives for - six people have died in Britain this year attempting to cut through and steal live cables.

Criminals are attracted by the ease with which stolen metal can be sold for cash and range from petty thieves to organised gangs.

Among the targets are electricity substations, churches and even cemeteries.

British Transport Police say they have seen significant delays and even cancellations on the railways because of thieves stealing power cables from the side of the track.

Earlier this week, six drums of metal cable were stolen from a rail depot over two days in Horsham, West Sussex.

Liberal Democrat transport minister Norman Baker told Sky News the problem was getting worse.

"It's an enormous problem for the transport industry, especially the railways, but also the motorways and the coastguard service now," he said.

"We're talking about thousands of incidents a year, huge disruption to the travelling public and massive cost to the taxpayer."

The price of copper and lead has risen dramatically over the last few years, driven by the global demand for base metals from countries such as China and other fast-growing emerging economies.

This week Greater Manchester Police launched Operation Alloy in an attempt to put metal thieves behind bars.

Dozens of officers raided scrap metal yards across the county looking for stolen copper and lead, and roadside searches were carried out on vehicles suspected of transporting stolen goods.

Police say metal theft is not a victimless crime and affects whole communities.

Repairs and maintenance in schools and other public buildings in Edinburgh have been scaled back to only those "essential" for health and safety after metal thefts left the council with a £200,000 bill.