High metal prices are driving up thefts, with churches, train cables and sculptures all being targeted. Jack McKeown finds out what is being done.
People travelling between Aberdeen and Inverness by train were held up this week because thieves stole around 800 metres of cable from the line.
It was one of a series of opportunistic thefts that causes 117 hours of train service delays in Britain each and every week.
The cost of metal theft to the UK economy is put at £770 million a year and the Association of British Insurers says its members pay out over £1 million a week in compensation.
Railway lines, churches, construction sites and roads for their manhole covers are among the most common targets.
The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland put the cost of metal theft in Scotland at £7.5 million for 2011 and £2.8 million for the first half of 2012, the most recent period they have figures for.
Indirect costs resulting from inconvenience to the public and loss of public utilities and services means the total cost is far higher.
The price of metal crashed following the financial collapse of 2008 but has since risen sharply, driving up thefts.
This week, thieves desecrated a cenotaph in Milnathort, tearing off a bronze plaque that bore the names of soldiers who died in two world wars.
Last month a bronze statue of a soldier was stolen from a war memorial in East Wemyss. It was recovered by a member of the public.
Around the same time, a metal bench was stolen from the shores of Birnie Loch, near Collessie, and thieves stole £5,000 worth of manhole covers from roads in rural Angus.
A metal double garage was stolen in Forfar, with the thieves putting their lives at risk by bursting through asbestos panels.
In May a £100,000 bronze statue was stolen from Perth and sold as scrap for just £200.
Edinburgh’s iconic St Mary’s Cathedral has also been targeted.
In a bid to crackdown on this black market, the Government in Westminster banned cash payments for metal at the end of last year.
In April, the Scottish Government held a consultation with a view to introducing a tougher licensing regime and also banning cash payment for metal.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “The police are doing what they can to bring those responsible for crimes such as this to justice and they will continue to have my full support.
“But we know more can be done and we will take tough steps through legislation. With the cost to the UK economy being put as high as £770 million, the status quo is untenable. This is plaguing communities across Scotland and it must be stopped.”