British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) is not surprised to see an increase in metal thefts reported in the latest Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) property crime data. While the means of recording and reporting metal theft as a standalone crime remains less than ideal, the figures do show the first repeated increases in thefts since enforcement interventions such as Operation Tornado and the implementation of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 (SMDA).

“Looking at the latest ONS Property Crime data for year ending March 2017, I am definitely not surprised to see that metal theft figures are on the increase. Indeed, judging by the reports we are hearing, this figure must have continued to rise since these latest ONS data sets were collated, especially as metal prices have soared in recent times. At the same time, these data only show a single event they do not show the value or impact of the crime. We are also aware that, due to insurance excesses, many crimes are still even being reported,” said Robert Fell, Chief Executive, BMRA.

“It is evident that Government must now urgently look at ringfencing funding to re-establish the metal theft taskforce to halt burgeoning metal crime before it reaches epidemic levels. At the same time, we remain hopeful that the Home Office has seized the opportunity to strengthen the SMDA as part of its review of the legislation. To simply leave it unchanged would allow illegal facilities to cointinue to operate unchallenged while remaining an easy way for thieves to dispose of stolen metal with little fear of discovery.”