Scrap Dealers Targeted in Day of Action

Scrap yards in Greater Manchester were visited by Network Rail, the British Transport Police and a four-legged ‘detective’ to ensure dealers are not trading stolen metal.

Latest figures reveal more than 400 incidents of metal theft on the railway between London Euston and Carlisle in the 12 months to January 2020.

This caused significant delays to passengers and cost the taxpayer an estimated £1.4m in Network Rail’s North West & Central Region.

Surprise scrap dealer site visits, in conjunction with the telecoms industry, took place in February to remind traders of their obligations under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.

A search dog trained to sniff out SelectaDNA markings on metal was also used during the Day of Action. By law, dealers must ensure traded metal is legally sourced and that sellers’ details are recorded and kept as part of any sale.

Organised criminal gangs are increasingly targeting metal used in infrastructure and exploiting high metal prices.

Thieves are being warned that police have sophisticated ways to catch them – with metal marked with a variety of forensic marking tags including SelectaDNA.

Andrea Graham, Project Manager for Route Crime Performance Initiatives at Network Rail, said: “Metal theft not only makes it harder to maintain our railway, but causes significant problems for passengers too. To stop the trade of illegal scrap metal, dealers must be vigilant if offered materials which could have been illegally obtained.”