Tackling metal theft: More Police powers are urgently needed

Wednesday 8th February - Last night in the House of Commons I called for greater powers for the Police to tackle the appalling problem of metal theft. You can read my comments here. South Yorkshire has the 4th highest incidence of metal theft in the country, and last year in Sheffield recorded incidents of metal theft rose by a shocking 46%. Just 3 weeks ago someone caused tens of thouands of pounds worth of damage to the railways by attempting to steal metal at the Archer Rd railway bridge. The Police know metal theft is a big issue, they've raised it with me and they want extra powers to crack down on rogue metal dealers.

I was pleased that MPs voted for a motion calling for the Government to urgently introduce a tough licensing scheme for scrap metal dealers. The motion also called for greater police powers to be able to close down unscrupulous scrap metal dealers, to search and investigate premises owned and operated by scrap metal dealers, to use CCTV to identify sellers of scrap metal and their vehicles, and to grant additional powers for magistrates to add license restrictions and prevent closed yards from re-opening.

These new powers would be a big step in the right direction and would help the Police to effectively tackle metal theft. Labour will be continuing to press the Government to implement these new measures. 

If you’ve been affected my metal theft please get in touch as I’m keen to find out just how widespread the problem is.