SCRAP METAL MERCHANTS ACT 1964

 You may be familiar with the downsides of the terms of this Act. It allows the scrap metal ‘industry’ to be a cash business which is a great help to metal thieves – ‘ask no questions tell no lies’. The ‘cash for scrap’ rules are a fantastic business opportunity for thieves when metal prices are so high. Little wonder churches are suffering so much lead theft and the railways even more copper theft. Through my job I travel all over the country liaising with Police Forces which include British Transport Police, I can confirm that the theft of cable if rife at the moment causing the Reading Paddington line to close for urgent work a few weeks ago. You may remember the theft of a large number of roadside drain covers between Ipsden and Woodcote. You may also have seen in the press recently reports of the theft of metal plaques from village war memorials.

A proposed amendment to the Act to prohibit cash transactions would make payment by cheque or directly into a bank account mandatory and would be a significant component in reducing metal theft.

However other more pressing parliamentary business means that the quickest way for this Act to be amended is by a massive public lobby so it has to be debated by the House of Commons. The only other event that may get the Government to take the matter seriously as an emergency debate is if the rail networks grind to a halt or there is a terrible accident because signalling cable is stolen.
Please could you ask everyone you know with an email address to support this petition to the Home Office, asking for this change to the Scrap Metal Merchants Act 1964. It needs to have 100,000 signatories – currently it stands at about 20,000.
To vote just click http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/406 and then click 'Sign this petition'.