“"the government should licence all and anyone to do with this multi billion pound industry " FYI every legal scrap merchant IS licenced and regularly inspected by the Police and like every other registered business has to pay taxes and do their annual returns. This evil scum do not use licenced scrap merchants - they will burn the cable to remove the outer cover any of the "tell tail" markers that's put into high value electrical cable. They then sell it in large quantities direct to the metal smelters that turn the copper cable, aluminium road signs, bronze statues etc etc into an ingot form of the metal - it them becomes a trade-able product - collateral to buy something else. No sane scrap merchant would get involved with this scum as they are being monitored 7 x 24 and any large quantity of what they call "bright copper cable" would be a direct signal to the monitoring Police. Yes scrap merchants deal mostly in cash payments, however they do keep purchasing records etc. and records of cash payments against purchased product. Thirty years ago there may have been instances where for small amounts of metal were not recorded and cash was exchanged - these days there's no chance if the scrap merchant wants to continue in business that they would risk this for small metal quantities. I have also read that large quantities of "scrap metal" is regularly shipped in containers overseas to overseas smelters.......why not improve the inspection of these first. You may from what I have said above note that I have a working knowledge of part of the scrap metal business”

“We are all becoming more dependant on good and reliable communication systems, these idiots only have the need for cash, and avoid paying tax etc, by means of what ever methods available, legal, illegal, whatever it doesn't matter. The scrap dealers need a great deal of scrutiny, as they will except anything with no questions asked, (remember the musical instruments), anyone with half a brain would have noticed something odd about that one!. Enforce legislation that requires you to produce a Drivers licence, V5 document, waste carriers certificate, and current bank account, no cash, monies payed by transfer direct to bank account. They all line up outside the scrapyard in the morning, and stick their fingers up at society, yes, it may only be a slow email to them, to that person concerned its extremely stressful. Come on Cameron and wake up to this theft on a grand scale and do something about it.”

“First place to look is Swansea Vale they are burning fires virtually on a daily basis all year round. Also how can the GYPSIES drive around with a load of scrap WITHOUT a waste carrier licence”

“Great!
Yet another evidence that this place is turning into a thid world country.
Hospitals unable to function due to cable theft....
Sorry, but that's ridiculous!”

“Every skip full of rubbish from factories & businesses across the land arrives at its destination (landfill or recycling facility) with "duty of care" paperwork to satisfy strict environmental regulations. This paperwork shows "whose waste was it" / "Where did it originate" / "who is transporting it on thier behalf" / "Where has it ended up". This comprehensive procedure can surely be applied to all metalic scrap with high penalties for any merchant whose documents are not in order. Just treat them the same as the rest of us in any other business.”

“yes someone is buying this stolen wire/cable and they are as much Scum thieves as the people pinching it these scrap yards have been in business long enough to know what is scrap and what is new etc,the government should licence all and anyone to do with this multi billion pound industry charge them higher taxesetc..also government employ people who have nothing to do with metal to weekly check/keep parerwork on these dealers and their yards !”

“Someone is buying this metal, surely scrapyards should be better regulated, with regular checks by Police, then the criminals wouldn't be able to sell what they are stealing!”

“I saw the start of these road side theft in the late 1980's in Hampshire. Driving from Fleet to Reading along country roads,you would start to see aluminium road traffic signs disappear - all that would be left would be the steel support posts. This was vary dangerous as warning signs for roundabouts and the chevron keep left signs on the roundabout were taken- deadly for night driving. Then large cable drums at electrical and BT storage yards were stolen.....now they steal BT or Electricity Power vans and 4x4's and make out they are repairing these systems when in fact they are stealing the cable. Short of welding up manhole covers and having better communications between the utilities and the Police there's very little you can do. With the added problem of many people not bothering to report suspicious activities to the Police and in general a lack of trust between the general public and the Police...we unfortunately will see more of this”

“" things here. Just look at the article further up the page from Ken Clarke reference prison sentences not working!! Says it all really from the "Justice Secretary". And while your point about stopping vehicles at night is valid "handyman", you can almost here the usual liberal suspects screaming of police harrassment and "the horrible police only stopped me because I am black/white/woman/man/driver/they are collecting funds (delete as appropriate). These are the times we live in, and the police are already working with one hand tied behind their back”

“Something more must be done,This is getting serious when hospitals are being targeted as the electricity supplies may be interupted in operations with important machinery thats keeping people alive stopping mid op and heating and lighting for elderly etc.. Perhaps the police should be out there patrolling in the dead of night stopping and searching cars and vans using the roads,a lot will be normal citizens going about their business but there again a lot of them might be dodgy!”