MRW has discovered that heavy-handed police are treating legitimate scrap metal traders like criminals, amid fears that arrests are needed to meet targets and yield to political pressure over metal theft.
Sources in different parts of the country have confided in us that they have been presumed guilty. Some have been arrested in front of local journalists and councillors, and been subjected to DNA tests – only to be released without charge. Others have had materials or money confiscated with no information about when they will be returned.
Our sources suggest that the problem is not isolated to a particular area, but is happening nationwide. This is down to a systematic misunderstanding on the part of police, policy-makers and the media of the industry and how it works.
The government is right: metal theft is a serious issue. So it needs a serious solution – cosmetic action for the sake of the cameras won’t do.
At present the focus is on licensed merchants – they are more easily identifiable and they can legally be inspected on demand. But by and large the culprits are unlicensed – so they are not identifiable and cannot be searched on demand. The law must be altered to reflect the source of the problem, and police must investigate the real problem, rather than relying on the easy targets.
Finally, in response to popular demand we are extending the entry deadline for the National Recycling Awards to give you two extra weeks to enter! Don’t miss out, enter for free online at www.nationalrecyclingawards.com by Friday 9 March.
You might also like...
BMRA appoints new chief following resignation of Robert Fell
The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has appointed James Kelly as its new chief executive, with immediate effect.
Bring back metal theft task force, urges BMRA
A spate of metal theft has prompted the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) to call for the re-establishment of the metal theft task force, and for metal dealer licensing to be overseen by the Environment Agency (EA) rather than local authorities.
JTA launches bid to track down missing WEEE
The Joint Trade Associations (JTA), which is responsible for distributing an £8m fund generated by the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) compliance fee , is looking for researchers to uncover where missing items end up.
News round-up January 2019
Axion proposes solution to PP films recycling; Viridor explores landfill time tunnel; M&S to take unwanted plastics; Global foundation launches brand
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Please remember that the submission of any material is governed by our Terms and Conditions and by submitting material you confirm your agreement to these Terms and Conditions. Links may be included in your comments but HTML is not permitted.