Government Business

A new operation has been launched in the London Borough of Greenwich, south-east London, to crackdown on the theft of valuable metals from buildings and premises in the area.
    
Following a recent spate of metal thefts from housing estates, local businesses, schools and churches, Greenwich Council has teamed up with Greenwich police and security company Selectamark to become one of the first London boroughs to take a tough stance on metal theft.
    
With the rise in metal theft thought to be costing the UK economy £360 million every year, Greenwich Council is aiming to stem the flow locally by targeting thieves and companies who profit from stolen materials such as lead roofs, copper phone cables, piping, iron manhole covers, road signs and metal from car catalytic converters.

Tracing DNA
Targeted and vulnerable metals will be treated with Selectamark’s SelectaDNA Grease, a new forensic product which carries a unique DNA code that can be traced on stolen metals as well as clothing and the hands of anyone who comes into contact with it.
    
Historic buildings such as the world-renowned Royal Observatory (home of Greenwich Mean Time, and built in 1675) and Charlton House, the best-preserved Jacobean mansion in London (built in the early 1600s) will also be treated.
    
Brian Cherek, Superintendent for Safer Neighbourhoods and Partnership, Greenwich Police, said: “The theft of metal has become an issue because its price has significantly increased. We intend to deal with this problem robustly by working together with our partners. If members of the public notice anything suspicious in their area, they should ring the police immediately.”

Protecting targeted metals
Greenwich has also introduced a number of additional measures to protect targeted metals, including:

• A registration scheme for scrap metal dealers and motor salvage yards. This will mean that companies will not be able to operate unless they are registered with Greenwich Council, and will have to keep detailed logs of all buyers and sellers, along with records of all their materials.
• Permission for local police and Greenwich Council licensing inspectors to visit salvage and scrap yards 24-hours a day to inspect any premises, its records, and any goods or materials.
• Registration packs that will be presented to around 30 known scrap dealers across the borough during site visits over the next few months.
• Licensing officers visiting firms believed to be handling metals.   
  

Greenwich Councillor Maureen O’Mara, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: "We have launched this operation to ensure that scrap metal dealers are playing by the rules and any business found operating without having registered will be liable for a fine.”
    
Councillor O'Mara continued: “These stolen metals are going somewhere and there are only so many places that are willing to buy, melt and sell them on. We hope the registration scheme and the forensic marking will help us keep a closer track of materials and the dealers that handle them.”
    
Jason Brown, head of business development at Selectamark, has some advice for local councils wishing to follow Greenwich's example.

“There are certain measures that councils can take to reduce the risk of buildings being exposed to metal thieves,” said Mr Brown. “But by far the strongest is using a product which the criminal knows will link him to the offence. By transferring a unique forensic code to the thief’s hands and clothing, SelectaDNA Grease immediately makes protected buildings ‘no-go’ areas for lead thieves.”
    
He concluded: “It really is an extremely powerful weapon in the fight against metal theft, and as a result, many police forces are now adopting its use."

Top ten tips to deter metal theft

• Identify exactly where any valuable metal is in the borough and make sure it is adequately protected. Install CCTV with an infra-red facility in risk areas.
• Don’t leave wheelie bins or ladders near buildings with lead roofs as they will make it easier for a thief to gain access.
• Mailshot local residents to ask them to keep a watchful eye on public buildings, particularly when they are closed, and ask them to report any suspicious behaviour to police. 
• Use floodlighting to light any risk areas. Make sure the lighting works as evenings draw in. 
• Look out for people acting suspiciously or ‘casing’ buildings. Report anything suspect to the police. 
• Consider removing bushes and other hiding places. 
• Use anti-vandal paint above two metres high (and post a warning it is there). 
• Restrict vehicle access to historic buildings, especially vans. Workmen should not turn up unannounced and should report to a main reception. 
• Set up regular checks and increase security activity around risk premises. 
• Consider using SelectaDNA Grease protection on any exposed metal and erect deterrent warning signs to indicate that everything is forensically marked.
  

For more information
Tel: 01689 860757.
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web: www.selectadna.co.uk
Greenwich Council, Neighbourhood Services Department. Telephone: 020 8854 8888