Wharfedale News
MP welcomes plans to scupper lead thefts
7:00am Friday 3rd February 2012
An MP has welcomed new plans to tackle metal theft after seeing his constituents suffer at the hands of thieves.
Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew backed the Government’s plan to tackle the growing problem, which has hit his community during the past few years.
Several churchs, schools and residential homes across Aireborough have been targeted by thieves.
Earlier this year police issued a warning to thieves after several incidents of metal theft in Horsforth, Rawdon, Guiseley, Yeadon, Pool-in-Wharfedale – where several cast-iron drain covers went missing – and Yeadon, while about a year ago churches in Aireborough, Otley and Horsforth joined a scheme called Faith Watch to protect their buildings against crime like metal theft.
During the past couple of years, St Oswald’s Church in Guiseley has been particularly hard hit and was left facing repair bills of thousands of pounds after repeated thefts of lead from its roof.
This week the Home Secretary Theresa May announced cash payments for scrap metal would be banned and penalties increased.
She said the Government would create a new criminal offence to prohibit cash payments when buying scrap metal, and would introduce penalties on those who break the law.
Mr Andrew said: “People across Pudsey are disgusted by metal thieves and the criminals who deal in stolen metal.
“I have been contacted about a number of cases where lead has been stripped from churches and residential buildings, costing huge amounts of money to remedy and leaving property owners worried that the replacement material will be stolen, too.
“We need to protect business, the public and our national heritage from metal theft, and that’s why I’m pleased to back the Government’s action.
“I am sure that many people will have shared my disgust at the recent news reports of war memorials being stolen and sold for scrap.
I agree that it’s right that the Government is stopping cash payments and introducing tough penalties to clamp down on the illegal metal trade.”
Mrs May told Parliament of the “intention to lay a Government amendment to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to tackle metal theft.
“The Government consider that legislation is the only sustainable, long-term solution to the growing menace of metal theft.
“There is an urgent need to make stealing metal less attractive to criminals, and tackling the stolen metal market will act as a significant deterrent.”