Caerphilly County Borough Council and Gwent Police have reported a sharp rise in the number of metal thefts.
Litter bins, dog-fouling bins, manhole covers, signs, fencing and even a playground slide, rugby posts and a memorial plaque have all been stolen to sell as scrap metal.
Cllr Rob Gough, cabinet member for public protection, engineering and transport said: “Metal theft is a serious crime, and one that is extremely costly to rectify. It is not a victimless crime, and costs taxpayers money to replace the stolen items, which is money which could have been better spent on other things.
“I would urge anyone who knows anything or has seen anything suspicious to come forward and confidentially report the information. We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners at Gwent Police to combat this issue – thefts will not be tolerated in our county borough and we will do all we can to catch those responsible.”
To combat the rise in metal thefts, the council has begun spraying its property with a substance called SmartWater.
The odourless and colourless dye shows up under Ultra Violet light but is invisible under normal light.
The SmartWater used in each location is unique, meaning thieves who steal metal will be covered in SmartWater which places them at the exact scene of the crime.
Gwent Police officers are also equipped with UV scanning devices used to search for traces of SmartWater at local scrap metal dealers.
Superintendent Jon Burley, of Gwent Police, said: “Metal theft continues to be an issue as the commodity price of various metals remains high. There are a variety of offenders who steal metal, from opportunist thieves to organised crime groups who target specific vulnerable locations or businesses.
“Metal thieves often risk serious harm or death when stealing metals. Aside from the danger to the thief, these thefts cost the taxpayer a considerable amount of money.”
Cllr Gough added: “The use of SmartWater means that we are able to send out a clear message to thieves that they are running a very high risk of being caught and convicted for their crimes. We want to see a clear reduction in this type of crime in our county borough and are taking sizeable steps to ensure that this is the case.”
Anyone with information on metal theft in Caerphilly County Borough should contact Gwent Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
If residents want to report a metal theft in progress, they should call 999.
I is high time the scrap collectors who, daily, drive around our steets were licensed and regulated. A bone fide scrapman would have no problem with this as it would mean an increased income as the crooks were squeezed out.
An honest scrap dealer is a public asset,by dint of re-using waste material; someone who steals a manhole cover is a maniac who desrves to be imprisoned for a long time.