stolen roadside drain covers

[turbo33]

I put a post on here a few months ago about drain covers being nicked. At the time ther were about 8 in our lane. The local paper has just printed the facts for the last year. The local council has had to/is in the process of replacing 536 at a cost to us of £160,000!!!

Don't you just love working your nuts of each day to pay huge amounts of council tax just so a certain band of people can sit on thier ***** and help themselves to an easy life

[Cranfield]

Thieves who steal drain covers, lead off roofs, cabling, etc., are bad people, but difficult to catch.

What must be a lot easier, is to catch the people they sell it to and then work backwards.

 

A pick up truck with a load of manhole covers, or rolls of lead, drives into a scrapyard and sells them.

Whats the chances of that being a legitimate transaction ?

[Conygree]

now coming to an area near you nicking 'cat converters' from your car. In North/west Oxon there has been alot of incidents - mainly on large 4x4's making it easy for fat thieves to joiin in the harvest - at our cost. Thinking of putting a plate under mine to slow them down a bit

[AVB]

now coming to an area near you nicking 'cat converters' from your car. In North/west Oxon there has been alot of incidents - mainly on large 4x4's making it easy for fat thieves to joiin in the harvest - at our cost. Thinking of putting a plate under mine to slow them down a bit

 

There was an article in our local paper this week saying that one was cut off of a van in the area recently.

[Guest gloker]

I went to a job recently on a 'semi permanent' traveller site. A 24 year old scrote 'cough' I mean patient, had third degree burns down his leg and on his arm. really horrific injuries. From molten metal spilt whilst making ingots.

Turned into a major incident as the furnace they were using was made using stolen equipment and they were melting down stolen lead, aluminium and other base metals. They were then storing the ingots and selling when the price was high. Large scale, high turnover operation. makes your blood boil thinking about it.

[starlight32]

Thieves who steal drain covers, lead off roofs, cabling, etc., are bad people, but difficult to catch.

What must be a lot easier, is to catch the people they sell it to and then work backwards.

 

A pick up truck with a load of manhole covers, or rolls of lead, drives into a scrapyard and sells them.

Whats the chances of that being a legitimate transaction ?

 

 

My family is in the scrap business and in reality, 99% of all scrap transactions are in some way or another (From the person bringing it in) non legitimate.

 

From the electrician who brings in his bit of bright wire that he has taken without his boss knowing to like you say above a van load of manhole covers which comes from possibly the public highway.

 

All you can do in the business is use your descretion, and to safeguard you against any recourse take the registration number,name and address.As an added security we have video cameras which record every transaction and are kept in lifetime records. This now normal practice for most.

 

In all fairness we have yet to see anyone try to weigh in manhole covers to date, and if they did they would'nt get much- That is if we would take them, which we most probably would'nt uless it was a local authority or such like.

[starlight32]

I went to a job recently on a 'semi permanent' traveller site. A 24 year old scrote 'cough' I mean patient, had third degree burns down his leg and on his arm. really horrific injuries. From molten metal spilt whilst making ingots.

Turned into a major incident as the furnace they were using was made using stolen equipment and they were melting down stolen lead, aluminium and other base metals. They were then storing the ingots and selling when the price was high. Large scale, high turnover operation. makes your blood boil thinking about it.

 

 

 

Most want what they can get as quick as they can, and dont have time to wait for world markets to change..........

[Beardo]

you think that's bad - thieves stole all the lead off our local church roof (£50k worth of damage), what kind of scumbag does something like that?

[Highlander]

My family is in the scrap business and in reality, 99% of all scrap transactions are in some way or another (From the person bringing it in) non legitimate.

 

Funny thing Starlight, I've met you and you didn't strike me as being of 'do as u likey' blood! so no disrespect when I say...most scrap dealers (merchants with a yard and all the equipment as oppossed to those who simply collect the stuff) are from daul blood and I know a few who would melt down a truck, trailer and all it's contents (including the driver) in their incinerator if they could turn a £ or two!

[al4x]

manhole covers fit nicely in the bottom of a transit tipper so would add weight my inkling would be they know the yards they are going into well so the stuff doesn't go in at normal times. Our local one they take all your details and there are various schemes run to stop you weighing in beer barrels and roadsigns etc so I can't see them going in unless at the base of loads. Lets face it after a few hours they'll either be melted or under a huge heap of metal. Though you would have thought at 10p a kilo it really wouldn't be worth it.

[UKPoacher]

Most of the scrap dealers I deal with are suspect. Either openly dishonest or they are willing to turn a blind eye. The police have lost the initiative in checking their books and making them accountable. As far as drain covers are concerned we have recovered hundreds from local scrap dealers and the council refuse to send someone out to identify them so they have to be returned to the scrap dealers. Crazy or what?

[Conygree]

To make it harder to trace the origin of scrap, I work in a hospital and we allow 'scrappies' to take from the skips. They are good guys in fairness and only take whats scrap, but it must look odd at times when the pass on old ventilators etc :unsure:

Against people who steal from inside hospitals.

[rodp]

So why don't they make it illegal for scrap merchants to deal in cash! If they paid out by card or cheque the recipient would be traceable through an account, job done. :unsure:

[UKPoacher]

So why don't they make it illegal for scrap merchants to deal in cash! If they paid out by card or cheque the recipient would be traceable through an account, job done. :unsure:

 

All second hand dealers and scrap dealers have by law to record documentation to prove who they buy from. It is the policing of the dealers that is lacking.

[hiho]

how would you get rid of this http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/300-year-old-...ferrerPath=home

[UKPoacher]

They'll probably ring it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll get mi coat

[swiss.tony]

vermin thats all they are no better than rats its a shame we cart lamp them and use 243 lot more fun than foxing lol

[pyr8]

it,s an ongoing problem in this area.i live near the start of two main motorways so there are plenty of big information signs that are regulary nicked.the local park had the main gates nicked,these were ancient and very ornate.they must have had a wagon with a hiab crane to lift them.and the lead of the local primary schools roof.it was the schools ITclass and it poored down before they knew it had happened and all the computer stuff was ruined.the council are replacing the grid covers with plastic ones as they have lost so many.

[rodp]

Let's be fair here, we all know it could be stopped, and quickly, if they (the powers that be) wanted to stop it. It's probably all just some political ploy, just a "look how hard up this council / police dept is, we can't even stop metal thefts"

 

Let's face it, when it comes to MPs / councilors / heads of police money schools and churches come way, way down the list. They just don't give a damn about joe public, we're just something to rip off for even more money. :unsure:

[pegleg31]

Let's be fair here, we all know it could be stopped, and quickly, if they (the powers that be) wanted to stop it. It's probably all just some political ploy, just a "look how hard up this council / police dept is, we can't even stop metal thefts"

 

Let's face it, when it comes to MPs / councilors / heads of police money schools and churches come way, way down the list. They just don't give a damn about joe public, we're just something to rip off for even more money.

 

 

:unsure:

[UKPoacher]

I was involved in an investigation a couple of years back when scrap prices peaked and everyone was getting their lead and copper nicked. Despite overwhelming the evidence I uncovered including a scrap dealer falsifying accounts and dole wallahs earning £300 a week weighing lead in the enquiry was shelved. It's in the too hard to do box.

[rodp]

I was involved in an investigation a couple of years back when scrap prices peaked and everyone was getting their lead and copper nicked. Despite overwhelming the evidence I uncovered including a scrap dealer falsifying accounts and dole wallahs earning £300 a week weighing lead in the enquiry was shelved. It's in the too hard to do box.

 

 

 

It's in the too hard to do box.

 

 

More likely in the "I can make a real good back hander out of this cash rich company" box.

 

And no, I don't mean the poor old copper that has to rummage around the scrap yard, I mean a lot higher up.

[badshot]

All second hand dealers and scrap dealers have by law to record documentation to prove who they buy from. It is the policing of the dealers that is lacking.

 

 

How many 'Smiths' are there in this country?

[starlight32]

Funny thing Starlight, I've met you and you didn't strike me as being of 'do as u likey' blood! so no disrespect when I say...most scrap dealers (merchants with a yard and all the equipment as oppossed to those who simply collect the stuff) are from daul blood and I know a few who would melt down a truck, trailer and all it's contents (including the driver) in their incinerator if they could turn a £ or two!

 

I am not into it its my brothers business now, but I had an interest for a while. For the record they are second biggest dismantler/merchant in North Norfolk.

 

But there you go, you never know what people do.

 

And for the record there ain't no flat back transit with no tax, and an impovised winch on the back on my drive either.......

Edited June 26, 2010 by starlight32

[UKPoacher]

How many 'Smiths' are there in this country?

 

The documentation required includes name, address and vehicle registration number. If it was policed properly it would significantly reduce metal thefts.