Police introduce new measures to help combat metal theft

New measures to combat the increasing problem of metal theft are being introduced across the North West, British Transport Police have said.

Operation Tornado, spearheaded by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), will aim to make it easier to trace sellers of stolen metal through an identification scheme.

Tornado spokesman Chief Inspector Robin Edwards said:

“As of 9 May, those selling scrap metal to participating dealers in the region will be required to provide proof of their identity – either a photo card driving licence including an address, or a passport or national ID card supported by a utility bill, which must be under three months old and show their address.

“Operation Tornado is one of a number of measures currently being explored to restrict the sale and movement of stolen metal. It has been designed not to inhibit those dealers that operate legitimate businesses, but to remove unscrupulous dealers who operate outside the law.

“We are hoping all registered scrap metal dealers in the region will sign up to be involved to help fight the stolen metal trade and make it more difficult for thieves to make money by targeting our communities for metal.”