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Banning Cash Transactions To Tackle Metal Theft Will Push Trade To Illegal Scrap Yards

27 January 2012

Metals recycling industry trade association the BMRA has announced that simply banning cash transactions will not solve the problem of metal theft

Commenting on the news that the Government intends to amend the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to tackle metal theft, BMRA director general Ian Hetherington said: "…The proposed ban on cash transactions as part of the amendment to the Legal Aid Bill will not solve the problem and will simply push the trade to illegal scrap yards.

"Whilst we support the long term ambition of removing cash transactions, a range of other reforms plus effective enforcement of current legislation are needed to solve the problem."

He added: "A delegation of BMRA directors has already arranged to meet Lord Henley, the Home Officer minister responsible for crime reduction, on Monday and will naturally strenuously represent the views of the whole industry at that meeting."

For a number of years, BMRA has been calling for a series of recommendations to combat metal theft. These include:

• 　reforming of the existing Scrap Metal Dealers' Act (1964) to ensure anyone selling metal is required to produce photo ID; and that scrap metal yards are required to use CCTV to monitor transactions
  
• 　overhauling the current system of licensing and permitting for scrap metal dealers with resources allocated to effectively enforce it. For example, at present scrap metal dealers must register with local authorities, while permits/licences are issued by the Environmental Agencies

              o　this recommended change would produce one single system resulting in a single national register of scrap metal dealers

              o　in addition this change would reduce administration required, freeing up resource to enforce legislation

• 　an increased focus on clamping down on the current rash of illegal and unlicensed scrap metal yards which provide an outlet for stolen materials and represent a significant environmental risk
  
• 　greater consistency in police activity - a single, national approach which recognises that although theft is local issue, the disposal of stolen metal can take place anywhere in the country
  
• 　Introduction of tougher sentences for metal theft where its consequences impact on national infrastructure or on cultural institutions
  
• 　greater investment on the part of asset owners, in collaboration with police, insurance companies and others, to secure assets and design out crime
  
• 　BMRA believes that the introduction of cashless trading in the current environment would create further problems by fuelling the 'black market' for metals. It is an option worth considering once the large number of illegal and unregulated metals recyclers operating in the UK have been eliminated.

www.recyclemetals.org

Darrel Moore