Police Crackdown On Scrap Metal Thefts

Stolen wire worth thousands of pounds along with a large quantity of cable was recovered on Wrexham Industrial Estate this week as part of a North Wales Police crackdown.

Three raids took place this week including one on the Wrexham Industrial Estate and two in Saltney Ferry.

The raids, which are part of the nationwide Operation Pallid to combat scrap metal theft, saw multi agency units enter scrap yards on the estate while colleagues set up road checks stopping vans and trucks travelling in the vicinity.

North Wales Police were supported by the British Transport Police, Scottish Power, BT Openreach, Smartwater, HM Revenue and Customs, VOSA and the Environment Agency Wales in what was a large scale operation.

Sergeant Chris Griffiths said: “The yard and local business premises are working with the police and assisting with enquiries”

Meanwhile at the raids in Saltney Ferry stolen cable and metal components valued at several thousand pounds were recovered from two yards along with extensive documentation.

Scrap metal thefts have become an increasing problem in the UK in recent years with a significant rise observed since 2006 in correlation with rising scrap metal prices. The annual cost of the thefts to industry is estimated at £360m.

This week the Daily Mail reported how scrap metal thieves stripped bare an entire children’s playground overnight in the West Midlands.