Copper piping is being stolen from the vans of tradespeople, Gwent Police has warned.
In the last week there have been nine thefts of piping from the roof racks of vans in Caerphilly, Newbridge, Tredegar, Blackwood and Pontypool.
Police are urging tradespeople not to leave the pipes when the van is unattended.
Sergeant Colin Thomas, of Gwent Police, said: “We have seen reports of thefts of copper piping, stored in plastic casing attached to roof racks on trades vehicles, in the Pontypool, Newbridge, Tredegar, Blackwood and Caerphilly areas.
“Other tips we would give to tradespeople is to remove anything valuable from your vehicle at the end of the working day including boilers, lead flashing and piping; remove ladders or chain them to the vehicle when not in use; make sure storage areas are securely locked and out of sight and fit additional heavy duty locks to prevent access to the storage compartment of your van.”