Officers in Dudley scrap metal dealer visits

Undercover police officers are being dispatched to scrap metal dealers across the West Midlands to conduct a series of test purchases looking for stolen metal, it emerged today.

The covert purchases are being made as part of Operation Stealth, a scheme launched by police to cut down on metal thieves plaguing the region.

A day of action to promote the operation yesterday saw 20 scrapyards across Dudley visited and Stealth posters warning of police action were put up.

One man was fined £500 and issued a notice of prosecution by Revenue and Customs officers, who joined the team and carried out 33 dip-tests on scrap vans, looking for illegal red diesel fuel, while Environment Agency workers were on-hand checking for waste carriers' licences.