Prime Minister promises regulations on scrap dealers to cut metal theft

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An action plan will be put in place to cut metal theft that may involve more regulation for scrap dealers, according to Prime Minister David Cameron.

Conservative MP for Colne Valley Jason McCartney put a question at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday on the subject. He asked: “Cable theft has cost the rail industry £43 million in the past three years and Gurkhas have even been drafted in to patrol the network. Meanwhile homes and churches are being pilfered of their lead and copper and, in the past month, one churchyard in Huddersfield has had 169 memorial plaques stolen for their metal. Will the Prime Minister join me in saying now is the time to legislate to stop these stolen metals going to merchants?”

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The Prime Minister answered: “My honourable friend makes an extremely important point. The theft of metal, particularly from war memorials, is an absolutely sickening and disgusting crime. We are working with the Association of Chief Police Officers to put in place an action plan to deal with this, which will involve looking again at the whole regulation of scrap dealers. We are determined to do that to put a stop to this appalling crime.”