West Midlands metal thefts up by 70pc

Metal thieves are striking more than 15 times each day in the region - an increase of 70 per cent - as homes, businesses and the railways are plundered for valuable scrap.

Today transport chiefs joined calls for a change in the law to disrupt unscrupulous scrap dealers who they said were putting lives at risk on the railways by funding the criminals.

Raiders struck 840 times in the Black Country in less than two months compared with 495 thefts in the same period last year.

Sandwell has emerged as the worst hit borough. There have been 285 recorded thefts there since April 1, compared to 132 in the same period last year.

Dudley saw a rise from 142 to 203 in the number of raids, while in Walsall it nearly doubled from 108 to 202. Wolverhampton also recorded a rise from 113 to 150.

Lead flashing has been taken from homes, hospitals, churches and school buildings, while drain covers and old cars are also being targeted and even batteries from temporary traffic lights.

Scrap prices are up around six per cent compared to the same time last year at an average of £185 per ton.

In Staffordshire, brazen thieves are increasingly using lowloaders to steal cars off driveways, giving the impression that the vehicles have broken down.

Today regional transport authority Centro called for the Government to get tough on dealers. In the West Midlands, rail thieves have caused 90 days of delays over the past three years and cost Network Rail nearly £3.25m in compensation for the disruption.

Sandwell Councillor Roger Horton, from Centro, said today: "It is an accident waiting to happen, I am surprised we haven't seen a major accident already."

Centro backed guidelines set out by the British Metal Recycling Association and Association of Chief Police Officers calling on sellers to give their names, addresses and provide identification before any payment is made.

They also call for the introduction of CCTV footage, which should be kept for four weeks. Insp Lee Gordon, of British Transport Police, said: "We need the powers to tackle the heart of this problem effectively, allowing us to shut down dealers who continue to flout the law and provide a market for thieves through buying and selling stolen metal."

Exclusive by Crime Correspondent Mike Woods