Five suspected metal thieves were questioned by police after being spotted close to overhead gantry cables on the M6 motorway in Walsall.

Bolt cutting equipment and other tools were found during searches of two cars and have now been seized by police as part of their investigation.

Motorway police officers tracked the vehicles for more than five hours after suspicious activity was spotted on cameras monitoring traffic.

The cars were seen travelling from the motorway into parts of Staffordshire and back through Walsall before stopping at The Village Hotel close to junction 10.

Officers held five Romanian men near the hotel at around 4.30am yesterday.

The men, aged between 19 and 57, have since been released on police bail.

Det Ch Insp Angie Whitaker, force lead for Operation Steel, said: “The excellent work by colleagues on the motorway network meant that these five men have now been questioned in connection with the suspicious behaviour and the equipment found in the vehicles by officers.

“We have seen recent offences where cables that power the motorway signage have been stolen by metal thieves, the most recent being from the M6 motorway on Sunday.

“Such offences are reckless and dangerous.

“These actions could put innocent lives at risk, as well as offenders risking possible harm to themselves while tampering with live cables.

“We have seen instances, including very recently in Oldbury, where people suspected of metal theft have suffered significant injury and even death as a result of gaining unlawful access to restricted areas where live electricity mains or cables are located.”

The West Midlands has been badly hit by metal thieves in recent years, prompting police to launch Operation Steel to target crooks and rogue scrap dealers.