LORD Henley, Minister for Crime Prevention and Anti-Social Behaviour Reduction, has launched a crackdown on North East metal thieves.

Lord Henley joined senior officers from British Transport Police and Durham, Cleveland and Northumbria police forces to launch Operation Tornado in County Durham yesterday.

The operation, being trialled in the North East, aims to make it easier to trace sellers of stolen metal through an identification scheme.

It comes on the heels of an epidemic of metal theft crimes in the region.

Spearheaded by the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Home Office, British Metals Recycling Association, British Transport Police and Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland Police, it is being run at scrap metal recyclers throughout the region.

As of this week, people selling scrap metal to participating dealers will be required to provide proof of their identity. Lord Henley said: “Metal theft is a serious and growing national and international problem.

“It is clear legislation dating back to the 1960s is not sufficient to deal with an increasingly organised crime and we are examining what changes to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 are needed.

“In the meantime we are working with the police and other law enforcement agencies on what immediate steps can be taken to better identify rogue metal dealers.”

Chief Inspector Robin Edwards, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: “Eighty per cent of scrap metal recyclers in the region have signed up to be involved in this trial to help fight the stolen metal trade.

“A key part of ACPO’s strategy is to choke off the market for stolen metal. We are talking to the Government about stricter controls and legislative changes that will make life more difficult for thieves and unscrupulous scrap metal dealers.”

Ian Hetherington, director general at the British Metals Recycling Association, also welcomed the trial, saying: “Metals theft is a real problem for the metals industry. Our members are actively supporting Operation Tornado.

“This is an opportunity for the metals recycling industry to trial some of the strengthened measures coupled with what we hope will be robust police efforts to prevent legitimate business being diverted away from those applying the Operation Tornado measures and into the hands of non-compliant operators.”