Metal thefts from railways and power networks surge by two-thirds in West Midlands
Security firm VPS has warned that the financial impact of the crimes can stretch far beyond the value of the materials stolen
Metal thefts from railways, power lines and telecommunications networks across the West Midlands have surged by two-thirds in the space of a year, new figures reveal.
Police recorded 799 infrastructure metal thefts in the West Midlands in the year to March 2026, compared to 482 during the previous 12 months.
The 66 per cent increase means the region now accounts for more than a quarter of all such offences recorded across England and Wales.
The figures, published by the Office for National Statistics last week, show infrastructure metal thefts rose by 15 per cent nationally, despite a fall in other types of metal theft.
Security firm VPS has warned that the financial impact of the crimes can stretch far beyond the value of the materials stolen, with damage to vital infrastructure causing widespread disruption.
In a new report, titled The Cost of Darkness, the Greater Manchester-based company highlighted how the theft of around £2,000 worth of copper cable from the Core Valley Lines in South Wales over the course of a week resulted in repair costs exceeding £750,000.
The company has also warned of an increased risk of theft during the darker winter months, following the clocks going back at the weekend.
Its own data from sites it protects across the UK and Ireland shows reports of burglary and theft increased by more than 50 per cent between October and December in each of the past two years.
Seetan Varsani, managing director for the UK and Ireland at VPS, said the wider consequences of infrastructure theft were often overlooked.
He said: "The police count the thefts, but nobody counts what stops working afterwards: the trains that don't run, the power that goes off, the business that can't open.
"In the West Midlands that is happening more often, and the long nights from now until spring are when thieves have the most time and cover."
The company's report examines the wider economic impact of metal theft, including the cost of repairs and disruption to essential services.
The full report, The Cost of Darkness, is available at www.vpsgroup.com/the-cost-of-darkness.