COPS LAUNCH WAR ON SCRAP METAL THIEVES; Police op in response to credit crunch.

Byline: BEN ROSSINGTON

SCRAP metal dealers on Merseyside were visited by police on the trail of thieves looking to make quick cash in the recession.

Throughout the credit crunch, as the price of metal has rocketed, police have seen a spike in the number of thefts.

Copper and brass are regularly reported stolenwhile the lead on the roofs of old buildings, particularly churches, has long been targeted.

Anearly morning briefing at Kirkby police station yesterday was followed by visits to local scrapyards.

Police were joined by officers fromBritish Transport Police, Customs, the Environment Agency and Health & Safety Executive.

Officers from the UK Border Agency also joined the operation, on the lookout for anyone in the country illegally.

Sgt James Halpin, who led the operation, said: "This came about because the increase in the value of scrap metal was encouraging people to steal.

"It can be a profitable business and we want to make sure the scrapyards in Knowsley are doing their bit by not buying scrap that has been obtained illegally."

During the operation, police also checked cars going in and out of Knowsley Industrial Estate.

In total they stopped 51 vehicles, handed out nine fixed penalties and have referred three suspected benefits cheats to the Department of Work and Pensions.

Estimates have put the cost of metal thefts to the economy as high as a whopping pounds 360million a year.

Network Rail estimated theft has cost them pounds 22m and caused passengers more a million minutes of delay.

CAPTION(S):

SCRAP SEARCH: Police wade through mountains of discarded metal at a Knowsley scrap yard as part of the operation