THE Police are warning local businesses in Oxfordshire to take steps to avoid becoming victims of scrap metal theft.
Pubs, builders and the construction industry, and air conditioning firms are among the industries being warned to secure goods that could be stolen and sold for scrap, such as copper piping, aluminium staging, and even stainless steel beer kegs.
There have been a number of thefts of large quantities of metal in Oxford and across the county in recent weeks (see below for details).
Crime Reduction Officer Nick Gilbert said: ?Scrap prices, particularly for non-ferrous metals such as copper & aluminium, are at their highest for more than 2 years, and it?s thought that will rise further in the early spring.
?Prices are being pushed up by the economic booms in India and China and much of this metal makes its way out to Asia. The scrap is being shipped ?raw? and processed overseas where the labour is cheaper.
?We?re seeing an increasing number of reported thefts. Some businesses get hit so often they don?t bother reporting them, so the problem is likely to be much bigger than we know about.
?We are advising businesses to secure all their stock, even those items they may see as of low value. There are those who may disagree and cause serious criminal damage to your property to get their hands on those goods.?
Police are also advising scrap dealers to be aware of illegal metal in the market, and are reminding the few who would think about taking this type of material that it is a criminal offence to do so and considered as handling stolen goods.
Officers have the powers to demand to view any dealer?s purchase books and will be actively visiting sites across the county to reinforce compliance.
Nick Gilbert said: ?The vast majority of scrap dealers are law-abiding businesses, but they need to be reminded it?s their responsibility to know where all their stock is coming from.
?If you are a dealer and someone offers you stuff that you don?t know where it was sourced, do yourself a favour, turn it away and call the police.?
If anyone who has any information about the following recent unsolved thefts or any other incident or suspicious items, please contact the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.
If you don?t want to speak to police and don?t want to leave your name, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
You can also give information to the police in person by visiting any police station. To find out the opening times and location of your local station please call 0845 8 505 505 or visit: www.thamesvalley.police.uk/bcu/oxfordshire/bcu-info/stations.htm
? The Morrells Brewery, Osney Mead Industrial Estate, Oxford, has been targeted by thieves twice ? overnight on the 4-5 January at around 12.35am on 12 January ? who stole empty steel beer barrels on both occasions. On the 12/01, it is believed a vehicle was used to ram open the gates of the site to gain entry.
? Between 8pm on 9 January and 5am on 10 January, thieves forced their way into the premises of The Swan Foundry, Swan Close Road, Banbury. They stole a large quantity of metal, including iron nickel alloy. Officers are particularly interested in a white transit van that may have been seen acting suspiciously in the area.
? Copper piping was stolen from three air conditioning units on an office building at the Sandy Lane Industrial Estate, Oxford, on 16 December, 2006. Two men were charged on 8 January with theft and criminal damage.