Rigorous law enforcement required to tackle UK metal theft
Sims Metal Management’s Myles Pilkington took part in a report on the BBC Radio 4 PM show about how to tackle the metal theft which has been disrupting the country over recent months.
Bright Copper wire: commonly targeted by metal thieves
The report centred on the well documented problems caused to gas and electricity supplies, the railway network, businesses and individuals and a recent incident where copper theft caused a gas explosion endangering human lives.
An argument was put forward calling for a stricter licensing regime, however Sims believes that introducing new legislation will do little, if anything, to crack down on the problem unless existing laws are enforced.
Speaking on the programme, Sims’ Myles Pilkington said: “We would prefer to see the existing laws rigorously enforced. Currently, the Police don’t have the necessary powers and the Environment Agency doesn’t have the resources. And even when enforcement is successful, the penalties rarely reflect the severity of the crime and its impact on society and the environment.”
The vast majority of the metals recycling industry is not only legitimate, but offers a leading and economically sustainable model of environmental benefit. Extra regulations will simply create further burdens and impact on the industry’s effectiveness.
It must be remembered that although the impact of metals theft is huge, the actual tonnage of theft in comparison to legitimate trade is tiny, only 0.1%. Approximately 13 million tonnes of metal is recycled in the UK every year of which around 15,000 tonnes is stolen. Of the metal that is stolen, 7,500 tonnes is stolen from the metals recycling industry itself.