North Oxfordshire MP Tony Baldry, who has been campaigning for the Government to take action on lead and metal theft, has welcomed the announcement by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, that the Government is going to introduce legislation to tackle the problem by making it a new criminal offence to prohibit cash payments to purchase scrap and by significantly increasing the fines for all offences under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.

Tony Baldry said:

“It is very good news that the Government has decided to take firm and clear action to tackle the problem of metal theft.

“In my capacity as Second Church Estates Commissioner, I know only too well about the problem of theft of lead from the roofs of on average some 10 churches per day. This is a tragedy for both our national heritage and the local communities within which these churches are situated.

“Not just churches, as a constituency MP I am well aware of the disruption caused to the rail network by the theft of copper signalling and only last weekend many villagers in Oxfordshire found themselves cut off from their telephones and home computers due to the theft of telephone cabling.

“It has been all too easy to steal metal overnight and simply sell it for cash the next day – no questions asked. So I am very pleased that the government is taking firm, clear and decisive action on metal theft.”

To read the full statement by the Home Secretary, please click here: Scrap Metal Dealers Written Statement 260112.