At least eight people were arrested in the Black Country as part of an international blitz on the metal theft epidemic which is costing the region millions.

Seven men and a woman were held on suspicion of fraud and two cars were seized in Brierley Hill.

In Wolverhampton, undercover officers worked with trading standards officials to check that scrapyards in the city were following procedures when they bought metal.

It was part of a Europe-wide day of action by police across the continent to tackle the problem.

Thieves have been stripping lead from churches, schools and businesses before selling it on to unscrupulous scrapyards for big profits, fuelled by construction booms in the Far East.

More than 680 people have been arrested under Operation Steel, which was launched last August by West Midlands police, to tackle the problem.

The eight people held in Brierley Hill were arrested in the Two Woods Lane area and they are now being dealt with by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Supt Laurie Dyer, who is running Operation Steel, said: “This day of action has seen the work of West Midlands Police, British Transport Police and other forces nationwide taken onto the continent to bring about a co-ordinated approach to the theft of metal.

“Operation Steel has made some headway in the fight against high value metal theft.

“But there is still work to be done to stop the illegal acquisition and sale of these materials.”