A brass-necked bandit stole an office door knob while staff worked in the latest attempt to cash in on rising metal prices.

Workers at Warley Woods Community Trust were left stunned after the brazen crook pinched the door knob as they sat a couple of yards away.

It comes amid a spate of metal thefts plaguing the Black Country and a week after raiders plundered more than £60,000 worth of valuable metal from a Wednesbury electrical firm.

Viv Cole, from the trust, said she and colleagues were taken aback by the thief’s actions.

“We were just working in the office and heard a little rustling sound outside,” she said.

Read more in the Express & StarA brass-necked bandit stole an office door knob while staff worked in the latest attempt to cash in on rising metal prices.

Workers at Warley Woods Community Trust were left stunned after the brazen crook pinched the door knob as they sat a couple of yards away.

It comes amid a spate of metal thefts plaguing the Black Country and a week after raiders plundered more than £60,000 worth of valuable metal from a Wednesbury electrical firm.

Viv Cole, from the trust, said she and colleagues were taken aback by the thief’s actions.

“We were just working in the office and heard a little rustling sound outside,” she said.”I’m quite a nosey person, but for some reason this time I decided to just ignore it because you do hear all kinds of sounds. When we did go out and see the door knob had gone we couldn’t believe it.” She said she and fellow staff had managed to see the funny side.

“We haven’t bothered reporting it too the police, as I’m sure they have more important things to be dealing with,” she said.

“Most of the crime we have in the woods is not that serious and tends to be petty vandalism or graffiti, but we have had some lead flashing stolen of some of the old buildings in the past.

“I can only think this is another attempt to make a bit of money because of how much these materials cost these days.

“But even then it can’t be worth that much and it’s quite sad in a way, although it’s given us a bit of a laugh. It’s certainly the funniest thing that’s happened in the 18 months since I started here.”

But things were looking up for staff at Warley Woods Community Trust yesterday as the charity was celebrating some good news after receiving a £9,930 cash boost from the Lottery’s Awards for All programme.

Anyone with information about any metal thefts in the region is asked to telephone police on 0845 113 5000 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The theft comes after a gang forced their way into Dorford Electrical on Mounts Road, Wednesbury, in the early hours of Wednesday last week.

Supt Laurie Dyer, who is leading Operation Steel, said: “We are committed to tackling metal theft and working with scrap metal dealers to remind them of their responsibilities when it comes to accepting metal from the public.”