Hundreds of metal thefts in South Yorkshire region

The Local Government Association has called for councils to be given more powers to tackle rogue traders who deal in the spoils of metal heists.

South Yorkshire Police recorded 868 metal theft offences in 2019-20, Office for National Statistics data shows. Of those, 520 were infrastructure-related, the rest were non-infrastructure related, which could involve stealing scrap metal or war memorial plaques.

Around 15,900 metal theft offences were recorded across England and Wales in 2019-20.

This was down slightly on the previous year, although Greater Manchester Police did not submit figures, which could account for the drop.

But it was still higher than the 13,100 recorded in 2016-17.

The LGA said a decline in the years prior to this was partly due to the introduction of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act in 2013. But the group said it has seen a recent resurgence in thefts, which it puts down to a range of factors including an increase in metal prices.

A spokesman added: “Councils have limited powers and no funding to tackle unlicensed operators and the LGA has also called on government to introduce greater enforcement powers to help local authorities tackle rogue operators.”

Mark Harrison, head of heritage crime strategy for Historic England, said: “When thieves steal metal from heritage assets, such as churches, artefacts from the ground or shipwrecks, they are stealing from all of us and damaging something which is often irreplaceable.”

David Smith, chief executive of the Energy Networks Association said: "Incidents are increasing across the country and can result in power cuts."

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman urged residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police on 101.

He added “We understand that the number of reported metal thefts may be concerning to the local community. This type of crime not only affects individuals and businesses, but it can have a knock on effect to the wider community and the environment too.“We work together with agencies including local councils and the Environment Agency to tackle the issue.”