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Monday 7 November 2011

bukan di negara kita aja berlaku...kecurian kabel besi buruk dsbnya


Ada terbaca masalah kecurian kabel tembaga berleluasa di serata bahagian dunia. Selain dari emas, tembaga adalah salah satu bahan logam yang berharga.

Kesanggupan orang mencuri live cable atau kabel yang bersambung dengan arus kuasa elektrik yang bervoltan tinggi sungguh membahayakan nyawa orang awam, kaki tangan yg bertugas apa lagi diri sendiri. Tapi mungkin desakan hidup yang kuat maka ada yang sanggup melakukan apa saja bak kata pujangga " something for nothing culture" yang begitu kuat melanda generasi sekarang.

Something for nothing adalah sifat melakukan sesuatu dan mendapat keuntungan *(sbg contohnya) tanpa kerugian apa apa (tanpa mengeluarkan modal,peluh dsbnya, cuma ambil percuma dan jual, dapat duit/hasil).
Something for nothing culture ni dah menular disegala aspek masyarakat sejagat dari yang berilmu dan berpangkat serta berkuasa hinggalah yang dikategori kan kelas terbawah didalam masyarakat.

Mereka ini hanya memikirkan diri sendiri, bila mereka melakukan tabiat ini.  Yang melakukan ini di golongan kelas terbawah masyarakat sanggup melakukan mungkin terdesak nak jalan mudah, mudah tunai/easy cash.
Ini dilakukan tanpa sedikitpun memikirkan risiko dan akibatnya pada diri sendiri apa lagi orang lain.

Tapi bila dilihat kecurian kabel kabel di negara kita, di negara maju, ada sanggup mengambil di sekolah, di rumah ibadat, dan juga tugu tugu peringatan perang dunia 1 dan ke 2 dimana, kebanyakan yang terkorban semasa perang jenazah/ badannya tidak di ketemui, maka sebagai peringatan tugu ini diletakkan nama nama pejuang yang telah terkorban diukir diatas ukiran tembaga dsbnya... dan diletakkan di bandar asal pejuang yang hilang(sah mati) sewaktu perang dunia 1 dan ke 2.
Maka war memorial ini ada tu setua negara kita..

Bayangkan jika tugu peringatan kita di curi.. sebab nak jual sebagai scrap.. betapa kita rasa perjuangan perwira 2 ini tidak dihargai apa lagi dihormati.
Tapi nak salahkan sapa semua mahu hidup senang, tapi halal ke curi ke apa cerita ya..

Baca articles dibawah di ambil dari harian metro dan dmail dgn ucapan terima kasih..untuk renungan bersama...









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diambil dari harian metro with thanks

75,000 meter kabel telefon dicuri di Kelantan





KOTA BAHARU: Telekom Malaysia Malaysia (TM) Kelantan menanggung kerugian RM4.32 juta apabila kabel telefon sepanjang 144,000 meter telah dicuri di seluruh negeri itu sepanjang tahun lepas.

Pengurus Besarnya, Abdul Rashid Abdul Che Othman berkata sepanjang enam bulan pertama tahun ini, sepanjang 75,000 meter kabel telefon telah dicuri, menyebabkan kerugian lebih RM2.3 juta.



"TM telah mengenal pasti 600 lokasi panas dipasang dengan alat penggera bagi mengelak kejadian mencuri kabel berulang," katanya pada sesi dialog bersama pengusaha besi buruk Kelantan di sini, hari ini.





Program anjuran bersama Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) dan TM, dirasmikan oleh Pemangku Ketua Polis Kelantan, Datuk Mazlan Lazim.





Dalam ucapan perasmiannya, Mazlan memberi amaran bahawa pihaknya akan menarik balik lesen pengusaha besi buruk jika mereka didapati terbabit dengan kegiatan membeli logam curi.





Katanya, sehingga Julai 2010 sebanyak 103 lesen membeli logam dan tembaga kategori A, B dan C telah dikeluarkan di Kelantan.





Bagaimanapun, katanya, setakat ini polis belum membuat sebarang tindakan membatalkan lesen pengusaha terbabit walaupun ada laporan pihak pengusaha membeli besi buruk yang dijual oleh pencuri.






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ARTICLES BELOW ARE taken FROM Dmail online with thanks


:life-size statue of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan unveiled in Newport Beach last month has been removed after vandals allegedly attempted to take it down using a rope and a truck.




The attempted theft of the bronze statue from Bonita Canyon Sports Park occurred early on Sunday.



It was found by authorities broken off its foundation and leaning forward with other damage. Police are looking for the suspect.


Local police received a call at approximately 5:30am on Sunday of a vandalism in progress at Bonita Canyon Sports Park.




A witness reported seeing a suspect attaching a chain or rope to the base of the statue and the extended cab of a tan pick-up truck and attempting to pull it down from its foundation.

The suspect was last seen fleeing into the Port Streets neighbourhood but was not found by police.



City crews removed the statue from its concrete base for repairs.


Police Sergeant Kirk Jacobi told OCRegister.com: 'Either someone really didn't like Reagan or they tried to steal it so they can sell it for scrap metal.'

The statue was dedicated on October 9, after nearly a year of controversy.

Residents debated whether the park should be named for the nation's 40th president and former governor of California, and if, in fact, the statue should be erected at all.




The final structure, proposed by Newport Beach City Councilman Keith Curry, finally went up in honour of the 100th anniversary of the politician's birth.



It was commissioned for about $60,000 raised through private donations.



Officials have not released an estimate of how much it will cost to repair the statue.



Police continue to search for suspects.



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Thieves who stole railway cable worth just £140 ended up leaving commuters stuck for a miserable 50 hours in 160 stationary trains, it has been revealed.




Police say last week's theft from a rail line in Crossgates, Leeds ended up costing more than £46,000 in delays and repairs.



British Transport Police has today appealed for witnesses to the incident where a small amount of cable was stolen but had devastating results.



Pc Linda Rix said the theft caused a large circuit failure meaning trains were stuck until officers and engineers attended the scene and discovered cable had been cut and taken from the line.



'After an investigation, the stolen cable was established to be worth approximately £140 to the thieves,' she said.



'As a result of the theft, 160 trains were affected causing 2,955 minutes of delays, costing the rail industry £46,560.



'Forensic teams analysed cable ends, which were found discarded close to the area, and police are now appealing for anyone with information to come forward.'



Chief Inspector Derek O'Mara, of British Transport Police's dedicated cable squad, Operation Leopard, said: 'The risks these thieves took for just £140 in their pocket is astonishing. It had a massive impact to train services and the rail industry to rectify and amend the damage caused, as well as delaying thousands of passengers - many of whom may have been travelling to important appointments.




'What thieves don't realise is that they are working on live cable, carrying up to 25,000 volts, which can cause extensive burns. They could have been seriously injured or even killed for their mindless efforts.



'The act of stealing, or attempting to steal, cable is extremely dangerous and anyone who has any information about the incident, or who saw any suspicious activity in the area is asked to come forward.'

Warrick Dent, area general manager for Network Rail, added: 'Once again our railway has come under serious attack from thieves bringing misery to thousands of passengers. Our engineers worked to resume services as quickly as possible and we will be working with British Transport Police to catch those responsible.



'Cable theft is a serious issue - disrupting and delaying both passengers and essential freight deliveries. We will look for the courts to reflect the misery caused by these individuals when they are caught and brought for sentencing.'



Sacred memories sold as scrap: Clampdown on dealers who encourage pillage of war memorials, demand police




Campaigners fighting to save war memorials from scrap metal thieves say only a handful have ever been brought to justice.


Tragically, the War Memorials Trust also revealed that only one in ten of the stolen plaques and statues are ever recovered.

Frances Moreton, director of the trust, said the rest end up being melted down by unscrupulous scrap metal dealers making a fast buck out of Britain’s fallen heroes.




Last updated at 6:28 PM on 1st November 2011



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Campaigners fighting to save war memorials from scrap metal thieves say only a handful have ever been brought to justice.

Tragically, the War Memorials Trust also revealed that only one in ten of the stolen plaques and statues are ever recovered.

Frances Moreton, director of the trust, said the rest end up being melted down by unscrupulous scrap metal dealers making a fast buck out of Britain’s fallen heroes.



Toppled after 90 years: Vicar Kevin Scott at The Old Malden monument, in Surrey, after thieves pushed it the ground to steal a strip of lead worth £5



OLD MALDEN, SURREY Thieves toppled the 90-year-old oak monument to the dead of the Great War so they could steal a strip of lead worth less than £5 two months before Remembrance Day.



They climbed on top of the historic memorial at the church of St John the Baptist in Old Malden, sending it crashing to the ground causing severe damage. Police sergeant Rob Baker said: ‘The lack of respect and callous nature of this incident has caused the local community significant concern and it remains a top priority for my officers.’

Police are demanding tighter restrictions on the dealers to halt the tide of thefts ahead of Remembrance Sunday.


British Transport Police is in charge of tackling metal theft across the country because the main traffic is in stolen cables from railway lines. It says action is needed to ‘choke’ off the market.


It also called for greater regulation to prevent scrap dealers, who are required only to register with their local authority to operate, melting down the nation’s heritage for profit.

Mrs Moreton echoed the call for tighter regulations, adding: ‘Anything that stops the theft of such an important part of our heritage can only be good.’ She added: ‘It’s very sad to see memorials being targeted and the names of those who have given their lives for their country being lost.

‘It’s very disappointing when people do this and those people need to take a long, hard look at themselves and see what they’re actually doing.

‘If people don’t take the opportunity to campaign and fight against the thieves, our nation’s war memorials will be lost to future generations along with the names of those who gave their lives for their countries.’

The Mail reported yesterday that the 100,000 war memorials in Britain are being targeted by thieves and vandals at the rate of one every other day. Thieves steal the brass plaques to dealers, who melt the metal down to fuel the worldwide demand for scarce metals.

Mrs Moreton said: ‘There haven’t been many convictions for thefts from war memorials. It’s very difficult to trace where scrap metal came from and lots of memorials are in very isolated places.’

The trust, which is supported by the Duchess of Cornwall, is campaigning for every war monument in Britain to be marked with the invisible chemical Smart Water, which can be seen under ultra-violet light and acts as a deterrent to thieves. Simon Lubin, of the British Transport Police, said that the focus also needed to be on regulation of the dealers.

Here, the Mail highlights some of the most disturbing memorial thefts.









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Callous brothers left friend to die beside railway after he was electrocuted as they stole copper cablePair visited a scrap dealer as friend lay undiscovered



Two brothers who left their friend to die when he was electrocuted as they stole copper cable from beside a railway were behind bars tonight.




John and Jason Tusting, 26 and 23, sold the metal for just £340 within hours of father-of-two James Smith suffering a fatal shock inside an electricity substation.



The 28-year-old's body lay undiscovered for more than two hours while the emergency services carried out a search of the area.



Jason Tusting had anonymously called 999 but lied about the exact location of the incident.




The break-in caused £110,000 worth of damage, but the copper was sold for just £342 at scrap dealer GH Metals in Peckham, south-east London, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.


The brothers made the sale shortly after railway staff finally came across Smith's body in the substation near Sydenham station at around 7am on December 4 last year.




Electrocuted: James Payne died on railway tracks

Mr Smith had suffered horrific burns and was discovered lying near a pile of bricks, naked from the waist up with his mobile phone and car keys taken from his pockets.



John Tusting had to be taken to hospital by ambulance at around 7.23am suffering from 'severe' burns on his left arm and shoulder sustained in the burglary.



He told paramedics he had been attacked overnight by three men, who had doused him with petrol and set him on fire. But he later told doctors he had been drunk and simply woke up with the injuries.



Jason Tusting, of Honor Oak, south London; and John Tusting, of Lee, also south London, pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage recklessly endangering life.



Jason Tusting has also admitted perverting the course of justice.



The brothers were due to be sentenced this afternoon, however, Judge John Hillen adjourned sentenced until August 12, and ordered the Probation Service to produce reports to address whether they represented a 'danger' to the public and should face indefinite jail terms.



Remanding the men in custody, he said: 'Custody is the only option, and it is really a question of what form the custody takes - one may be looking at a longer term for the protection of the public.'



The court heard Jason, giving the false name 'Josh Tusting', rang 999 at 5.32am to say he had been waiting for a train at Sydenham station and seen a 'flash of light' and a man fall to the trackside.



But the location he described was 'some distance' from the substation, the court heard.



The substation's power supply had been tripped two minutes earlier at 5.30am when the cables were cut.



Jason Tusting admitted his real identity after being tracked down by a suspicious officer, who then asked to check his hand for a distinctive scar recorded on Jason's police file.



Simon Taylor, prosecuting, said the brothers had 'tried to conceal their activities and in effect created a false crime scene, thereby delaying the discovery of the body.'



Jason's DNA was later found on Smith's lips - suggesting he had tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before fleeing from the scene.



The court heard Network Rail had 'experienced a 300 per cent increase in the theft of copper and other metals' since 2004, at a total cost of £15m.



Mr Taylor said: 'It is quite clear that the damage caused during the course of the commission of these economic crimes has the effect of endangering the lives of others.



'This is a feature of these crimes that was starkly and tragically demonstrated in this particular case, where one of the gang of thieves died as a consequence of being electrocuted.



'The defendants appear on the indictment not because they are directly to blame for the death but because they created a hazard that left the lives of others in danger - a risk that is only too sadly evidenced by the death of their colleague.'



The damage resulted in the closure of the main commuter line between London and Kent coast for almost an hour.



James Rouse, defending, insisted John Tusting had made attempts to save Smith, and had suffered as a result.



'He grabbed him in an effort to pull him away, thereby causing extremely serious injuries to himself,' he said.



'He was in hospital for five days straight after the incident and, when the ambulance technician arrived at his home, when asked how painful his injuries were, he said "10 out of 10".'



The illiterate thief, whose criminal record includes convictions for burgling a primary school, stealing a car and possessing a knife in public, was arrested on December 16 in the burns unit of Lewisham Hospital.



Jason Tusting's record includes criminal damage, affray, theft and drink-driving.



His barrister Nick Robinson said he had also made attempts to seek help after the break-in, calling for an ambulance and trying to administer CPR.



But Judge John Hillen said the 999 call was misleading 'causing operatives looking for the body to put themselves a risk'.



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‘This is why you shouldn’t steal copper cable!’ Thief’s warning as he suffers horrific burns after being hit by 22,000 volts



'Everyone thinks it's so easy and they have no idea how stupid they're being'


Surge in cable thefts triggered by the huge prices being paid for copper and other metals



These are the horrendous injuries suffered by a man after he was hit by 22,000 volts while stealing copper cable from an electricity sub-station.



James Sorby, 22, was burnt so badly that his daughter was unable to recognise him. He had been trying to take cabling from an electricity sub-station in a disused Post Office sorting room in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

But before he could even touch the cable, a massive charge jumped a gap to his body and he suffered severe burns to his face and hands, a weakened heart, lost partial sight in his left eye and lost movement in one of his hands.


James Sorby, 22, was burnt so badly that his daughter was unable to recognise him. He had been trying take cabling from an electricity sub-station in a disused Post Office sorting room in Leeds, West Yorks.


A surge in cable thefts across the country has been triggered by the huge prices being paid for copper and other metals, many of the products leaving Britain for use in India and the Middle East.



Sorby endured weeks in hospital where he underwent five operations and skin grafts and he faces more surgery, including a hair transplant over a skull wound which exposed his brain. This was caused by the electricity exiting his body.

A surge in cable thefts across the country has been triggered by the huge prices being paid for copper and other metals, many of the products leaving Britain for use in India and the Middle East

He claims the most traumatic moment of his whole ordeal came when his young daughter did not recognise him because of the burns.

He said: 'It wasn't until she heard my voice she realised I was her dad.

'It was horrible to realise your own daughter didn't know who you were.

'I think I've been given a second chance, but I've got to live with what I've done every day. Every single day I'm reminded.'

He has now issued a stark warning to others thinking of stealing cable. He said: 'I have been through so much and am still going through it.

'My message is "Don't do it". Before I did this, it was just an idea and there was no danger to it.

'Everyone thinks it's so easy and they have no idea how stupid they're being.'



He added: 'When you think of getting involved in something like this, you don't think of the danger.



'Now I've been through this I would not wish it on anyone. I've been through five months of agony, and this has changed my life forever.'

Sorby, who had a six-month trial as a second row forward with an Australian rugby side, says he is keen to turn his life around following the incident which nearly killed him.


Scarred: The thief shows the damage to his hands caused by the massive electric shock




He said: 'My goal is just to be there for my daughter when she needs me, to get a straight job and possibly begin coaching rugby to young lads.

'That way I can teach them not just how to play rugby, but how to behave off the pitch.

'Talking about it is one way I can put things right. 'I'm still here and that's the most important thing.'



Sorby, of Leeds, pleaded guilty at Leeds Magistrates Court to trespass with intent to steal.

Prosecutor Vicky Trueman said that despite danger warnings, Sorby and two others went to steal cabling from a sub-station on January 27.



But he was electrocuted before he had a chance to steal and his accomplices called an ambulance.



Exposed copper cabling and flashmarks were later found, along with blood identified as Sorby's. He was arrested on May 23 after five months in hospital and accepted the offence.

Abbi Whelan, mitigating, told the court the consequences for Sorby were 'catastrophic' and he had assisted the police who were eager to alert people to the dangers of the increasing number of cable thefts.



Speaking after his court case, Sorby said he remembered nothing after entering the warehouse.

He said: 'The next thing I remember is the ambulance arriving, I was in a bad way.

'They cut off my clothes, there was blood everywhere.

'The pain was unbelievable and the doctors told me I only survived because I am so young and fit.'



The incident had a major impact on his mother Diane and the rest of the family, some of whom flew from Australia to be at his bedside.



Detective Chief Inspector Mike Oddy said: 'Metal theft is increasingly popular because of its rising value, but with it comes the life-endangering risks that thieves are taking for the sake of making some quick money.

'James Sorby is extremely lucky to be alive to tell the tale. I hope his story makes people take his advice and think twice before getting involved in metal theft.'



PRESSURE FOR LAW CHANGE ON DEALERS


Scrap metal theft across the UK has hit almost epidemic proportions.

Some councils have reported the theft of manhole covers, wheelchair ramps and even children's playground equipment.

Britain's railways and power supply companies are some of the hardest hit as metal prices continue to attract thieves looking for fast cash.



Rail companies are having power and signalling equipment stolen on a daily basis across the network with British Transport Police admitting number of thefts 'is huge'.



As police admit they are failing to keep up with the thefts around the country sparked by the global rise in metal prices there is growing pressure on the government to reform the 1964 Scrap Metal Dealers Act.

The coalition is considering licensing scrap metal dealers, banning them from dealing in cash and giving police powers to close rogue traders down.



Minister are considering the crackdown on the industry worth £5bn a year to the economy.

It is thought that more than 15,000 tonnes of metal is stolen in the UK each year.




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School puts up warning sign to tell THIEVES they could be injured if they steal copper from the roof


By Andrew Levy



Warning: Teachers put up the notice at Whitmore Junior School, Basildon, to avoid being sued by thieves



Damage: Copper was stolen from Whitmore's roof four times during the course of a week




The situation is even more absurd because the criminals are the reason the roof is insecure in the first place as they have been stripping off the valuable copper that covers it.

Parents at the school, in Basildon, Essex, attacked the bizarre health and safety ruling. One, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Just when you think the world cannot get any more crazy, something like this happens. The lunatics have taken over the asylum.

‘We should celebrate if one of this gang falls through the roof and breaks a leg, not be worrying about having to pay them compensation.’


Another, who has an eight-year-old son at the school, added: ‘It’s common sense to know that walking on a roof is dangerous. If someone chooses to do it, that’s their look-out.’


Enlarge Warning: A notice informing parents nearby Willows School had closed for the day

The copper thieves struck at the school four times last week, making off with huge sections worth thousands of pounds and leaving the school with a huge repair bill.

Until contractors have completed the work, it has been advised to put up the signs which are printed on laminated A4 sheets and warn: ‘This roof is unsafe – do not climb.’

Iris Cerny, executive head at the mixed community school, which has around 200 pupils aged seven to 11, said: ‘Should anyone go on to our roof in the meantime and hurt themselves, even as a result of taking the rest of our copper, we are going to be liable for injury. So we have had to put notices up.’

An Essex County Council spokesman said any property where work is being carried out needs to have the ‘correct signage in place’.

He added: ‘This ensures that everyone is aware of any possible danger and the council would not be liable for injury caused by not adhering to these signs.’

Other schools in the area have been targeted, including Willows Primary School, which had to close for the day on Tuesday after £25,000 of copper was stolen from its roof




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Scrap bandits return as commodities boomBy Stephen Womack




Scrap metal thieves are again targeting homeowners, businesses and motorists to cash in on soaring prices.


Targeted: Thieves stole lead from part of Mike Smith's roof

Gold has hit record levels and last week was trading at $1,395 (£861) an ounce.

But signs of economic recovery, strong demand from Asia and renewed speculation have also helped to drive the prices of other metals higher.

Copper, for example, is trading at about $8,599 (£5,306) a ton in London, more than 166 per cent up on its low point at the end of 2008, while lead is trading at about $2,490 a ton, double its 2008 low.

And scrap platinum, which is found inside the catalytic converters of car exhausts as well as in some jewellery, was last week selling for about £793 an ounce.

Previous high prices prompted a spike in scrap metal thefts in the spring and summer of 2008, as Financial Mail reported at the time.

As prices slumped in the face of world recession, crooks sought richer pickings elsewhere. But the rebound in metal prices this year means motorists, households and businesses are again being targeted.

British Transport Police last month called for new powers to help it tackle the growing problem as thieves target rail networks for copper cabling. Deputy Chief Constable Paul Crowther says: 'With the high price of metal on world markets at the moment, thieves who sell to conniving or unwitting dealers are getting good returns.'

Rural insurer NFU Mutual has seen a big increase in metal thefts this year. Aluminium and copper pipes and roofing lead have all been taken. Catalytic converters, especially on vans and 4x4 vehicles, are another target.

NFU Mutual spokesman Tim Price says: 'Metal of all varieties is very much on the thieves' shopping list.'

He says higher gold and silver prices have changed the way burglars operate. 'Now when they break in it is not just consumer electronics that are taken,' he says. 'They make a beeline for any jewellery, no matter how old, because of the scrap value.'

Insurer esure has also seen a spike in the thefts of jewellery. Spokesman Adrian Webb says: 'We have seen a definite rise in metal thefts from homes - both gold and silver jewellery. Thieves will always follow easy money.'

Big advertising drives by postal gold dealers and High Street jewellers who want to buy scrap gold have helped to raise awareness that even unfashionable or broken jewellery has value.

Another common target is roofing lead. Mike Smith and fiancee Dawn Cokell returned home from a weekend away to find that lead had been stripped from a section of the roof of their three-bedroom semi-detached house.

Mike, a civil servant, says: 'The roof above the bay window on the front of the house had been stripped. They took a sheet of lead about 6ft long and 3ft wide.'



And the couple, both 26, from Whitefield, Manchester, were not alone. Mike says: 'Talking to neighbours we found out that four houses in the area had been targeted on the Saturday night in the same way. Then a week later, the thieves came back and did the same on a few more properties.'

Mike and Dawn, a human resources officer for a construction firm, told the police about the thefts but no one has been caught yet. The couple have decided to replace the missing lead with roofing felt, even though it may not look quite as smart.

'The worry is that you can spend £400 on the lead - and then have it stolen again,' says Mike.

Churches and other historic buildings are particularly vulnerable.Specialist insurer Ecclesiastical has seen 1,596 claims for metal theft in the year to September, costing more than £3.5 million. While this is less than the £8.5 million annual losses in 2008 when metal crime was at its peak, losses are already 60 per cent higher than in the whole of 2009.

David Bonehill, Ecclesiastical's claims and risk services director, says: 'We see no sign of claims reducing. There is a direct correlation between the value of these metals on world markets and the number of claims received.

'About four thefts of metal take place every day among our customers and this is four incidents too many.'

The RAC says it has seen an increase in the past few months in patrols being called out to rescue drivers who have had the catalytic converters removed from their exhausts by metal thieves.

Each catalytic converter typically contains between three and seven grams of platinum, worth anything up to £175 on the scrap market. But the thefts leave the vehicle useless.

Patricularly at risk are 4x4s because they have bigger exhausts and it is easier for a thief to slide underneath to get at the exhaust without jacking up the vehicle. The replacement cost of a new exhaust system can be up to £1,000 on bigger models.



Hard line: Transport police want powers to halt metal snatchers

Rail, power and communication networks are vulnerable to metal thieves. Copper cabling used for railway signalling and the power cables around transformers are both targets.

British Transport Police, which is responsible for policing the railways, reports a significant rise in metal theft this year. It has seen more than 1,800 cable thefts in 2010.

Last month, British Transport Police called for new legislation to make it harder for the crooks to sell on metal.

Police want scrap metal dealers to be forced to collect better records about their customers, with tougher ID checks similar to those used by banks to stop moneylaundering. And cash payments would be banned, with money for scrap transferred to only named accounts. Dealers who refuse to comply could be shut down on the spot.

British Transport Police Deputy Chief Constable Paul Crowther says: 'Police can close bars or clubs if the terms of their licence are breached. We want to see whether similar legislation could help us to tackle metal theft.'