As the recession continues to bite and scrap metal prices stay fairly high, metal thefts are on the increase with all sorts of things being stolen. Children’s swings, wheel chairs and lead from roofs are just a few of the things that are on the thieves target lists.
The Police have recently launched a UK crack down on metal theft which is estimated to cost the UK economy £770m per year. The UK metals recycling industry is worth £5.6 billion, according to the British Metal Recycling Association.
With Christmas coming up it is essential that you firstly discard the packaging in a way that the thieves can’t identify an easy target. Make sure that bikes etc are not left in the garden but put in a locked shed. Fence panels can be easily lifted and items removed from your garden in minutes. There are devices you can purchase that will lock you fence panels down securely. Using these devices makes it more difficult for things like swings and wheel barrows to be stolen. It is sad that in our current society we have to distrust people however by protecting your property hopefully we won’t have any unhappy children that have had their Christmas presents stolen this year.
It is also not just new items that are being stolen, anything metal that will reach good money is being targeted. Please be vigilant and think about where you are storing items and how easy they would be to steal items. It could happen to your or your neighbours so be aware!