Any old iron...?

I don't know if we have any scrap metal dealers or motor salvage businesses in Cranfield or its further reaches but new measures to regulate these companies might help to make metal theft more difficult. I know St Peter and St Paul church has had lead nicked in the past  and  every so often all the lineside copper wiring disappears from a bit of railway near you bringing services to a halt.

CBC is now the focal point for local scrap metal regulation. They say:

Central Bedfordshire Council is ready to take on licensing powers for scrap metal to help in the crackdown on metal theft.

The new Scrap Metal Act 2013 came into force on 1 October 2013 and requires every scrap metal dealer to have a licence - operating without one will be a criminal offence.

It replaces the previous registration system and under the new legislation the definition of scrap metal dealers is extended so it now includes motor salvage operators too.

Cllr Brian Spurr, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities, Services, explained the changes. He said: "We’ve been saying for some time that a solution to crack down on metal theft couldn’t come soon enough. This new ability to regulate who is and who isn’t a scrap metal dealer will help to improve operating standards as well as cutting down those who deal in scrap illegally."

"Previously, scrap metal dealers were required to register with us and to keep records of purchases and disposals. Now however, we have been given enforcement powers to revoke a licence and inspect sites to really cut down on any illegal activity. Doing this means that we can protect responsible dealers and improve the reputation of the trade."

He added: "Trade in criminally obtained metal is costing the UK economy around £770 million a year in costs to business and damage to the nation's infrastructure, so this is a step in the right direction. "