Metal theft in the UK reaches epidemic proportions

More than 1,000 offences are taking place every week, according to official figures. The number of metal thefts has doubled in the past five years and is estimated to cost the economy more than £770 million every year as thieves target the transport system, public buildings such as schools and hospitals, and places of worship.

Thieves have targeted railway lines, church roofs, community centres, war memorials, irreplaceable works of art, manhole covers and even plaques in cemetaries. The number of thefts from churches has doubled in the past three years alone. In some areas, metal theft is reported to represent a tenth of total recorded crime while the British Transport Police now ranks the issue second only to fighting terrorism in its priorities.

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