Back tougher scrap metal regulation - NFU

Changes would include a requirement to register if you sell scrap metal, more stringent identity checks and the banning of cash payments for metal. With metal thefts from farms now such a common occurrence that many farmers have stopped reporting incidents, accurate statistics are hard to come by. However, the NFU is all too aware of the regularity with which farm gates are stolen, leading to animals spilling on to public roads.

NFU chief rural affairs adviser David Collier said: “At present anything made of metal that can be stolen is being stolen. Farms are among the businesses that can lose their telephone and broadband connections when copper cables are stolen, which is extremely disruptive to rural businesses relying on the internet for crucial parts of their enterprise.

“In addition, when farm gates are stolen and livestock escape there is a serious risk of injury to the animals that roam free on public roads and can also cause disruption to road users. The cost, misery and inconvenience caused by metal theft is out of all proportion to the scrap value of the items stolen.

“These are among the many reasons we are backing this private members bill, and are delighted that Graham Jones MP has proposed a bill that promises to go further than the modest changes suggested by others.

“It would give police the power to close down a scrap metal dealership where stolen metal has been found, and enable magistrates to add licence restrictions and prevent closed scrapyards from reopening. At the moment it is just too easy to sell stolen metal without a big risk of being caught, so anything that can be done to deter criminals from engaging in this practice will be welcomed by farmers and the public.

“In the meantime we would urge farmers to report all cases of theft so that the police are made fully aware of the scale of the problem and can deploy resources in response. The danger is that if little crime is reported in an area there will be fewer patrols, making it easier for the criminals to escape detection.”