Thieves steal £200k of metal

Metal worth around £200,000 and hundreds of pounds worth of Christmas gifts for staff were stolen in a raid on a family business in Staffordshire.

Thieves are thought to have spent several hours clearing Cannock Chemicals in North Street, Bridgtown, of large amounts of nickel, copper and zinc after smashing a hole in the roof to get inside. The firm's managing director Mark Malpass claimed such metal thefts had cost the plating industry across the Black Country up to £7 million the last year.

Mr Malpass, aged 41, said: "Most of the industry has been hit badly in the last year by thefts, particularly in the West Midlands."Most of the plating trade is West Midlands-based with our customers mainly being in Birmingham and the Black Country and it's cost the industry around £7million in the last year."

In the break-in at Cannock Chemicals on Sunday raiders stole up to 50 nickel bars, each around 18ft long and weighing 85 kilogrammes.

They also took 200 coils of copper wire weighting 10 kilogrammes each and more than 300 bags of nickel metal, again each weighing 10 kilogrammes.

A total of 140 bottles of whisky, 20 bottles of brandy and 50 bottles of wine intended as Christmas gifts for customers were also taken, plus 18 boxes filled with around £80 of gifts for each member of staff.

A £90 collection for a member of staff who was leaving was also stolen.

Cannock Chemicals supplies metal to electroplating firms. It is the first time it has been broken into.

Mr Malpass said: "We had considered ourselves virtually indestructible because we are like Fort Knox and have roller shutters on every door. It has frustrated me and is a real kick in the teeth," he added.

By Michelle Pearson