More than £2,000 stolen from scrapyard

5:30pm Wednesday 28th November 2007

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THIEVES plundered metal worth more than £2,000 from a scrapyard.

Police had been warning scrapyard owners to check the source of any lead or copper they were offered as crooks cash in on soaring metal prices.

But John Kay, general manager at SC Chadwick, Breightmet, found the tables had turned when burglars broke in to the yard and loaded a van with £1,500 in copper cabling and £600 of old car batteries.

"Police say all scrapyards have to be on alert but now we're suffering as well," said Mr Kay.

"It's the first time in a long time we've had anything taken but it's down to the price of metals," he said.

Greater Manchester Police has acknowledged an "epidemic" in thefts of metals such as copper and lead in recent months, with thieves targeting businesses, homes and churches, often for the flashing on roofs.

Officers have handed letters to scrapyard owners outlining their duties under the 1964 Scrap Metal Dealers Act and encouraged them to take added measures such as photographing customers, so they can be traced as part of any police inquiry.

Mr Kay said staff at his yard in Oakenbottom Road always keep a copy of the photo ID of anyone they buy metal from.

He believes the batteries stolen from the yard had been taken because they contain lead but said specialist knowledge would be needed to extract the metal.

A police spokesman confirmed a gang of three or four thieves removed two sections of a metal palisade fence to get into the yard, before breaking the lock on its main gates.

They paid three visits to the yard between 7pm and 8.45pm on Monday, each time closing the gates to give the appearance the site was secure.

Part of the break-in was filmed on the site's CCTV cameras and officers are examining footage in a bid to catch the thieves.

Anyone with information about the break-in should call police on 0161 872 5050.