http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/news/?q=metal%20thefts

====

Scrap metal raids: Police seize tonnes of rail cable

The British Transport Police (BTP) regards metal theft second only to
terrorism in its list of priorities

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16307310

Police have seized 14 tonnes of suspected stolen railway cable and
made 45 arrests after searching around 160 scrap metal yards in a
single day.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said the haul followed
visits to 400 scrap metal recyclers in England and Wales on 14
December.

The day of action aimed to tackle the "growing" crime of metal theft,
thought to cost the economy £700m a year.

Scotland Yard is launching a dedicated unit to target the thieves.

The Waste and Metal Theft Taskforce is based in Bexley, south-east
London, one of the boroughs most severely affected because of the high
number of scrap metal yards.

'Unscrupulous'

Meanwhile, a newly formed cross-ministerial group has also met several
times to discuss the problem.

It is clear that a law dating back to the 1960s is not sufficient to
deal with an increasingly organised crime”

Acpo said police across Britain had joined forces with a number of
agencies to hit back at thieves and "unscrupulous" scrap dealers.

"Metal theft is a huge, cross-industry, problem which is not only
having a massive impact on the economy, but also communities across
the nation, said deputy Ch Con Paul Crowther.

"The day of action was designed to drive home the message that metal
theft will not be tolerated and that all agencies will work together
to tackle the issue."

Other bodies involved in combating the problem include the Environment
Agency, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, BT and Network Rail.

British Transport Police said it considers cable theft second only to
terrorism in its list of priorities.

Home Office minister Lord Henley said: "It is clear that a law dating
back to the 1960s is not sufficient to deal with an increasingly
organised crime.

"That is why we are looking at a range of legislative options,
including ending payments in cash for scrap metal."

Some 275 separate searches of scrap metal yards in the first two weeks
of December led to 15 arrests and the seizure of 16 vehicles.

Acpo said dedicated days of action would continue throughout 2012.

"SB" wrote in message
...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/news/?q=metal%20thefts

====

Scrap metal raids: Police seize tonnes of rail cable

*************

About time too!

Kev

On Dec 28, 10:30*am, "Kev Lawrence"
wrote:

About time too!

Kev

Indeed! Now all we need is government prepared to bring the law on
scrap metal out of the days of Dickens and into the 21st century and
courts prepared to believe the offence is worth more than the
miniscule scrap value the thief gets........but don't hold your
breath.

George

On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:11:34 -0800 (PST)
furnessvale wrote:
Indeed! Now all we need is government prepared to bring the law on
scrap metal out of the days of Dickens and into the 21st century and
courts prepared to believe the offence is worth more than the
miniscule scrap value the thief gets........but don't hold your
breath.

Expecting any sensible decision from the deluded liberal buffoons in the
legal system is a hide to nothing these days. Justice long ago went out
the window, its now just a trough the lawyers stick their snouts in and the
judges use to play one-upmanship against the democratically elected commons.
Home secretary wants to boot out some asylum seeker who's commited murder? No
chance , because Sir Justice I'm-all-right-jack-in-my-country-retreat
****wit-Smyth will be along any minute to overturn it on appeal and pat
himself on the back at what a good little liberal he's been.

B2003

On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:11:34 -0800, furnessvale wrote:

Indeed! Now all we need is government prepared to bring the law on
scrap metal out of the days of Dickens and into the 21st century and
courts prepared to believe the offence is worth more than the miniscule
scrap value the thief gets........but don't hold your breath.

Maybe it's about time BT and Network Rail started taking civil actions
against the thieves and the scrapyards for the consequential costs caused
by their actions.

A civil judgement for the compensation costs incurred by NR for a 6 hour
shutdown on the ECML would probably be enough to close the scrapyard that
paid for the signalling cable involved.

Rgds

Denis McMahon

On Dec 28, 2:18*pm, Denis McMahon wrote:
On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:11:34 -0800, furnessvale wrote:
Indeed! *Now all we need is government prepared to bring the law on
scrap metal out of the days of Dickens and into the 21st century and
courts prepared to believe the offence is worth more than the miniscule
scrap value the thief gets........but don't hold your breath.

Maybe it's about time BT and Network Rail started taking civil actions
against the thieves and the scrapyards for the consequential costs caused
by their actions.

A civil judgement for the compensation costs incurred by NR for a 6 hour
shutdown on the ECML would probably be enough to close the scrapyard that
paid for the signalling cable involved.

Rgds

Denis McMahon

Consequential losses are seldom recoverable in civil actions, as being
too remote.

Compensation costs are contractual penalties between NR and TOCs and
are irrecoverable in tort from a third party

Indeed it might not be possible to prove that the scrapyards 'knew or
ought to have known' the cable was stolen

I would have thought that Restitution Orders or Proceeds of Crime
orders against the proven perpetrators would be more likely to be
successful (in the later their assets are seized and they have to
demonstrate what proportion they can retain as coming from legitiate
means).

That assumes the proven perpetrators have any meaningful assets

Patrick

On Dec 28, 11:45*am, wrote:
On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:11:34 -0800 (PST)

furnessvale wrote:
Indeed! *Now all we need is government prepared to bring the law on
scrap metal out of the days of Dickens and into the 21st century and
courts prepared to believe the offence is worth more than the
miniscule scrap value the thief gets........but don't hold your
breath.

Expecting any sensible decision from the deluded liberal buffoons in the
legal system is a hide to nothing these days. Justice long ago went out
the window, its now just a trough the lawyers stick their snouts in and the
judges use to play one-upmanship against the democratically elected commons.
Home secretary wants to boot out some asylum seeker who's commited murder? No
chance , because Sir Justice I'm-all-right-jack-in-my-country-retreat
****wit-Smyth will be along any minute to overturn it on appeal and pat
himself on the back at what a good little liberal he's been.

B2003

Remembering of course that the judiciary follow sentancing guidelines,
their deliberations on which are published and are subject to appeal
(inckuding in cases of leniency)

I suspect your beef is with the guidelines

Patrick

"Denis McMahon" wrote in message
.com
On Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:11:34 -0800, furnessvale wrote:

Indeed! Now all we need is government prepared to bring the law on
scrap metal out of the days of Dickens and into the 21st century and
courts prepared to believe the offence is worth more than the
miniscule scrap value the thief gets........but don't hold your
breath.

Maybe it's about time BT and Network Rail started taking civil actions
against the thieves and the scrapyards for the consequential costs
caused by their actions.

A civil judgement for the compensation costs incurred by NR for a 6
hour shutdown on the ECML would probably be enough to close the
scrapyard that paid for the signalling cable involved.

BBC London ran a sting operation a few weeks ago. They found that some
dodgy scrapyards wouldn't buy obviously stolen BT cable (provided to the
Beeb by BT), but did give sotto voce advice to the thieves on how to
disguise the origins (ie, to burn off the insulation and melt the
copper). They even suggested a quiet location where to do it. Once
that was done, it's pretty hard to prove that it was originally stolen,
and from whom/when/where, and so the scrapyards would then buy the
anonymised copper from the returning 'thieves'.

On 28/12/2011 00:05, SB wrote:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/news/?q=metal%20thefts

====

Scrap metal raids: Police seize tonnes of rail cable

The British Transport Police (BTP) regards metal theft second only to
terrorism in its list of priorities

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16307310

Police have seized 14 tonnes of suspected stolen railway cable and
made 45 arrests after searching around 160 scrap metal yards in a
single day.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said the haul followed
visits to 400 scrap metal recyclers in England and Wales on 14
December.

The day of action aimed to tackle the "growing" crime of metal theft,
thought to cost the economy £700m a year.

Scotland Yard is launching a dedicated unit to target the thieves.

The Waste and Metal Theft Taskforce is based in Bexley, south-east
London, one of the boroughs most severely affected because of the high
number of scrap metal yards.

'Unscrupulous'

Meanwhile, a newly formed cross-ministerial group has also met several
times to discuss the problem.

It is clear that a law dating back to the 1960s is not sufficient to
deal with an increasingly organised crime”

Acpo said police across Britain had joined forces with a number of
agencies to hit back at thieves and "unscrupulous" scrap dealers.

"Metal theft is a huge, cross-industry, problem which is not only
having a massive impact on the economy, but also communities across
the nation, said deputy Ch Con Paul Crowther.

"The day of action was designed to drive home the message that metal
theft will not be tolerated and that all agencies will work together
to tackle the issue."

Other bodies involved in combating the problem include the Environment
Agency, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, BT and Network Rail.

British Transport Police said it considers cable theft second only to
terrorism in its list of priorities.

Home Office minister Lord Henley said: "It is clear that a law dating
back to the 1960s is not sufficient to deal with an increasingly
organised crime.

"That is why we are looking at a range of legislative options,
including ending payments in cash for scrap metal."

Some 275 separate searches of scrap metal yards in the first two weeks
of December led to 15 arrests and the seizure of 16 vehicles.

Acpo said dedicated days of action would continue throughout 2012.


I would suggest that the law needs to be changed so that cable thieves
can be charged with "sabotage & endangering safety of rail passengers",
rather than theft, with severe minimum penalties specified by law, such
that some namby-pamby do-gooder could not reduce to a token level of
sentence. Dodgy scrap dealers should also face similarly severe charges
& penalties.

Bevan

In message , at 16:36:42 on
Wed, 28 Dec 2011, Bevan Price remarked:
I would suggest that the law needs to be changed so that cable thieves
can be charged with "sabotage

Perhaps. Or why not simply Criminal Damage?

& endangering safety of rail passengers", rather than theft, with
severe minimum penalties specified by law, such that some namby-pamby
do-gooder could not reduce to a token level of sentence. Dodgy scrap
dealers should also face similarly severe charges & penalties.

That's somewhat in conflict with the idea that signalling systems are
fail-safe.
--
Roland Perry