April 25, 2012 12.38 pm This story is over 143 months old

Police make arrests over metal thefts

Metal theft: Two men in Lincoln arrested over metal thefts as Lincolnshire Police continue crackdown such offences.

Lincolnshire Police arrested two men in Lincoln over metal thefts, while two others were arrested in Saltfleetby on suspicion of theft of lead.

On Sunday, April 22, two men aged 31 and 35 were arrested on suspicion of burglary on Foss Bank.

Officers were alerted by residents to a suspicious vehicle at an unoccupied building where copper piping was stolen.

This vehicle was located and the piping recovered. The two men were later arrested and bailed pending further enquiries.

On the same day, police also arrested two men aged 22 on suspicion of theft of lead from St Peter’s Church in Saltfleetby.

The incident was also reported by a member of the public, and the stolen lead was recovered and returned to the church.

Both men have been bailed pending further enquiries.

Lincolnshire Police encouraged the continued reporting of suspicious vehicles and activities from county residents.

Operation Brompton

As part of Lincolnshire Police’s ongoing efforts to tackle metal thefts, a man from Grimsby was sent to prison for nine months.

Leon Hutchinson was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on April 20 for a series of metal thefts within the county and in north-east Lincolnshire.

He was caught attempting to steal lead from the industrial heritage Bass Maltings buildings in Sleaford in December 2011.

In interview he admitted a further six metal theft offences and police went on to recover a large quantity of stolen lead and scrap metal from his home address.

So far this year, the force made 60 arrests for metal theft offences.

Working with scrap metal dealers

Lincolnshire Police has signed agreements with 12 scrap metal dealers in the county so that anyone wanting to sell metal to a dealer will need photo identification and proof of address which will be recorded before any sale can take place. This should help deter offenders who think it is easy to sell on stolen metal.

Source: Lincolnshire Police | Photo: Mark Menzies