Scunthorpe has seen a recent rise in the number of theft of metals from people’s properties. As well as many businesses and church premises being the target of the thieves, attention has now turned to people’s homes.
Thieves are attracted by metal on view such as lead or copper and are waiting until the middle of the night to steal the metal. This is then weighed in as scrap for a fraction of what it is worth or cost’s to replace. Homeowners are left trying to replace the metal and repair the damage left in the process of stealing the metal.
Police are limited as to what they can do as they cannot patrol often enough to catch the thieves in action and arrest them.
Homeowners can help by not leaving any metal items waiting to be disposed of where they can be seen by passersby.
They should paint or replace the lead lining of their homes with a material unattractive to metal thieves. Tradesmen should also beware of leaving copper items in their vans overnight.
A spokesman for Humberside Police said: “Not only do domestic and business premises get targeted, but Lorries and other vehicles also.
“The driver or owner of a vehicle may not realise any theft has occurred until much later on when they are in a different county, or in some cases country, thus making it impossible to ascertain where and when the theft happened.”
By Megan G yr5