| There has been a sharp increase in metal theft over | | | | have also been carted away on the back of lorries to |
| the past few years, causing chaos for a number of | | | | be melted for scrap. |
| industries and organisations. | | | | But what is causing this wave of crime? The most |
| In the UK churches have been hit particularly hard | | | | common interpretation is that the new eastern |
| with lead being stolen from roofs across the country. | | | | powerhouses, China and India (collectively known |
| A crime that was once the preserve of village crooks | | | | chindia) are so hungry for metal to support their |
| and Famous Five stories has now become an | | | | construction and hi-tech industries that their rapid |
| international business worth millions. | | | | growth has made a parochial crime hugely profitable. |
| It's not just churches that are being hit. Hospitals, | | | | New legislation aimed at scrap metal dealers is being |
| power companies, and rail companies are all feeling | | | | considered while new technologies have also been |
| the effects of metal theft as vital copper wiring is | | | | developed to combat the problem. Technologies, |
| torn from generators, railway lines are plundered and | | | | particularly those involving bio-synthesised DNA, are |
| copper piping is ripped straight off the walls of | | | | increasingly being used to deter detect and defend |
| buildings. The theft of metals has reached epidemic | | | | properties against such theft. As these technologies |
| proportions, so serious in fact that a special task | | | | role-out the expectation is that these crimes will |
| force has been set up spearheaded by the British | | | | become harder to commit and metal dealers will |
| Transport Police; the first time such a taskforce has | | | | become more wary of who they buy from, aware |
| been set up for commodity theft. The head of the | | | | that stolen metals can be traced back to their |
| British Transport Police has declared metal theft to | | | | source. Although the problem is unlikely to go away, |
| be his second greatest concern after terrorism. | | | | any organisation that is likely to be threatened by |
| Further afield there are reports of an entire bridge | | | | metal theft would be well advised to investigate this |
| being stolen in the Ukraine while numerous artworks | | | | new technology. |