0:00:02 > 0:00:03Police! Open up!
0:00:05 > 0:00:12Across Britain, the police are dealing with a new crime wave -
0:00:12 > 0:00:14metal theft.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Criminals who tear apart Britain's infrastructure -
0:00:17 > 0:00:19electricity...
0:00:19 > 0:00:21water...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23- the railways - - PA: "This train has been delayed..."
0:00:23 > 0:00:28Passengers are just fed up. They're fed up to the back teeth of it all.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29..risking their lives and yours.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I don't have a house. It's got a massive hole in it.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40But for the grace of God, that could've been the last shift for any one of us.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43It's easy to swap metal for cash.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45You can steal your metal, take it into a scrap dealer,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48and it can be converted to cash with very, very few questions asked.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53This is the gold standard - dry, bright, copper wire.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54That's what it's all about.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58As the price keeps rising...
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Prices of metals have increased by between 400% and 500%.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03..the police are in pursuit.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Listen to me. Don't start carrying on.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09You're under arrest for theft of Network Rail cable.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12They know that we know who they are.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14They know that we know the places that they visit.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16- PILOT OVER RADIO:- "Right, right...
0:01:16 > 0:01:20"Towards wooded section, right in front of you. Coming towards you."
0:01:20 > 0:01:23The hunt for Britain's metal thieves is on.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35British Transport Police are getting ready to make some arrests.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40..at the burn site. Er, the second subject has been identified...
0:01:40 > 0:01:42We've an incident where armoured railway cables
0:01:42 > 0:01:45have been placed across the running lines. At the location.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48And that caused one train to be quite severely damaged.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51The train driver was very shaken up by the incident.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54It may have caused that train to come off the running lines.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Thieves often place railway cable across the tracks,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02using the train to cut it.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05It's a dangerous practice.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11Sergeant Dawes and his officers are raiding two houses in Leeds
0:02:11 > 0:02:13to arrest the people responsible.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17I'm arresting you on suspicion of conspiracy and endangering life.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19You don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence
0:02:19 > 0:02:23if you do not mention...something you...rely on in court.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25We've arrested all male occupants in this house.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28There's going to be three males now arrested.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Take a seat in there, mate. All right?
0:02:35 > 0:02:37They've had an intelligence tip-off,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39that this is where to look for the stolen railway cable.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47- Open the door, mate! - Come t'front door!- Pardon?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- Got to get keys. - OK, no worries. Be quick.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54My name's DC Hare, from British transport police. LISTEN!
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Don't start carrying on.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59You're under arrest for theft of Network Rail cable.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03- Do you understand?- Yes. - How old are you?- 16.- OK.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07You aren't even proper coppers! HE LAUGHS
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Proper cuffs, though, aren't they?!
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Sacks of cables and wires are taken away as evidence.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29At the first address, police find remnants of burnt railway cable
0:03:29 > 0:03:31which may link the suspects to the crime.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Obviously, something's been going on at the premises that we're interested in.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40I'll just get the Scene Of Crime to come up here and have a look.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44we've officers from the operational support unit who will carry out a search of the embankment.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48If we can link people forensically to cable theft, that's great.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Five men are arrested and interviewed.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56But due to lack of evidence, all are released without charge.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03This is what the thieves are looking for -
0:04:03 > 0:04:06metal cable that runs alongside the railways tracks.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11These men posed as railway contractors
0:04:11 > 0:04:13to steal an enormous reel of cable
0:04:13 > 0:04:15straight from a rail yard at London Bridge.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20In this theft on the middle of the night at Bletchley,
0:04:20 > 0:04:26thieves used a lorry and a forklift to steal thousands of pounds worth of copper wire.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30And here thieves brazenly weigh their haul of stolen copper.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Police think they made about £85,000 before being caught and sent to prison.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42In 2011, and estimated 15,000 tonnes of metal was stolen.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46It's easy to see why.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53At the London Metal Exchange, business is brisk.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56SHOUTING
0:04:56 > 0:04:59No sign of a recession here!
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Prices are going one way - and that's up.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07In the last decade, prices of metals have increased by 400% to 500%.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10And this is unprecedented.
0:05:10 > 0:05:16So, as an example, 10 years ago, copper was trading at around 1,500 US dollars a tonne.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21In 2011, it traded in excess of 8,500 dollars a tonne.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27Its high price makes copper the most attractive metal to steal.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Today, it's still fetching over 8,000 a tonne.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Consumption has grown because of the growth of China.
0:05:36 > 0:05:43China in 2011 consumed as much copper as Japan, North America, Europe and Russia combined.
0:05:52 > 0:05:58In the last three years, more than 13 million pounds' worth of metal
0:05:58 > 0:06:00has been stolen from Britain's railways.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08The thieves will take anything they can get their hands on.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10What we lose from the railways, we lose copper cabling -
0:06:10 > 0:06:13whether live cable or redundant cable -
0:06:13 > 0:06:16we lose the clips that hold the track down.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18We lose earthing straps.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20We lose the overheads. Power lines.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24We lose the track itself. It's anything which is metal.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27But the most significant impact for the running of the railway
0:06:27 > 0:06:31is the track and the cabling that's a link to the movement of trains.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33British Transport Police in the North East
0:06:33 > 0:06:34face the biggest challenge
0:06:34 > 0:06:38with more thefts here than in another region.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42From their office in Leeds, they've launched a crackdown called Operation Leopard.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Our specific role under Operation Leopard
0:06:44 > 0:06:47is dealing with the theft
0:06:47 > 0:06:48of cable from Network Rail.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51We're looking for any receipts in relation to weighing in of scrap.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54'We want to try and disrupt and deter offenders'
0:06:54 > 0:06:55from committing crime on the railway.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00On the nightshift tonight, police constables Mark Horbury and Bob Smith
0:07:00 > 0:07:05are going on patrol to try to catch metal thieves in the act.
0:07:05 > 0:07:11- I'll have a drive-by, see if there are any about.- OK.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20A very fast train - 70 or 80mph - passes here on this foot crossing.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25So, you can see here, the trough where the cable's buried,
0:07:25 > 0:07:26people can get access to it.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29If there are people looking to steal cable here,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31it's too close to the line.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32It's extremely dangerous.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- You can feel the ground moving, as well! Can you feel it in your feet? - Yeah, yeah.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- Imagine if something came off it, like a screw?- Hm.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- That'd be it, wouldn't it? Lose your eye.- Dead. Dead.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48The dangers to metal thieves on the railway line
0:07:48 > 0:07:51means they must be caught before they're hurt.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53They tend to operate in the dark,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55so PC Smith is using a night-vision camera.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59It's basically a night sight.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04It picks up a subject through body heat, so human being, animal...
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Even through dense woodland, it will.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11The darker it is, the better the equipment will work.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13He's hiding good and proper.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15RADIO COMMUNICATION
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Looks like we've got some cable activity at Castleford.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- Did you hear that, Bob?- No. - Castleford East junction.- Yeah.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Can you see owt?
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Let's have a look.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46If anyone's in this expanse of land, we'll see them with a night sight.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Been and gone, haven't they? Nothing. Not even a critter.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Er, they've gone through here.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02See the cabling here. It's all exposed, isn't it?
0:09:02 > 0:09:06That's where it's been cut before, and that's where it's been repaired.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- Touch that and see if it's live. - No, thanks.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10LAUGHS
0:09:10 > 0:09:13We've examined the line-side, there where the cabling is,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and there's no recent activity.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20It could quite easily be - remove the fencing,
0:09:20 > 0:09:25and come back on another occasion when they think it's safe to do so.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26It's common sense, isn't it?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30With hundreds of miles of train track to patrol,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33catching thieves in the act is hard.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42One convicted ex-metal thief who calls himself Matt,
0:09:42 > 0:09:47was caught red-handed taking railway track in Hertfordshire.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50You can go up and down the train tracks all day long and you'll see
0:09:50 > 0:09:52old bits of rail all the way along, which is...
0:09:52 > 0:09:55it's gold...to some people.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Matt used a lorry and a crane
0:09:57 > 0:10:01to steal disused track from the side of the railway.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04I was collecting it all up, just about to take it all away,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07and the police officers turned up, questioned us...
0:10:07 > 0:10:11and then admitted that we was stealing it.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Matt admits he's made a lot of money from stealing metal.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18One night's work, one day's work - you'll pick up £1,000 - £1,500.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Unlimited really. There's no cap to it.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Cable's always a good one because of the lead and the copper.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Whatever you can get your hands on.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28You're not hurting anyone. You're not going into...
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Not robbing people or going into... burgling people's homes.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33It's... It's there.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35So if people are going to leave it there, and it's unguarded,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and it's easy to collect, people are going to keep doing it.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42PA: "This train has been delayed due to..."
0:10:42 > 0:10:44But metal theft caused thousands of hours of delays
0:10:44 > 0:10:48for Britain's train passengers last year.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51This line in Essex was closed for a whole day
0:10:51 > 0:10:53after stolen cable caused a fire on the line.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Some metal thieves are even targeting overhead
0:10:59 > 0:11:01electricity cables - exposing dangerous live wires.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11In 2011, fire crews were called to an incident in Castleford, West Yorkshire -
0:11:11 > 0:11:14what happened next was captured on on-board camera.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21Cars that were parked outside were buried,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25the explosion happens in property three, then moved to four.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Then, as we thought
0:11:28 > 0:11:29we were moving to a safe area,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32property five also blows.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40Fire crews had to evacuate the buildings.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43The damage was devastating.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46I don't have a house and... It's got a massive hole in it.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50It's got everything in there. And we put loads of work into it.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and everything I own has gone into it, so...
0:11:54 > 0:11:57And it were my birthday yesterday.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00And I was supposed to have my house-warming tomorrow.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Cutting the cable removed the earth of the electricity supply
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and diverted it into the metal in the structure of the houses.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13The electrified gas pipes heated up...and exploded.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14HUGE EXPLOSION
0:12:16 > 0:12:18The cable's worth approximately £40.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21£40 weighed up against what?
0:12:21 > 0:12:2430 to 40 lives, it could have took.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26It's frightening.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30But it does bring it home to you how close things can come.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31But for the grace of God,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33that could have been
0:12:33 > 0:12:34the last shift for any of us.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Thieves can't turn the metal they steal into cash
0:12:41 > 0:12:43without a scrap-metal dealer.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50The metal-recycling trade in Britain is worth over five billion pounds.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55BTP have been working very hard to try and tackle the dealers
0:12:55 > 0:12:57that sit on the fringes of the law,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59or who blatantly work outside the law.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02You know, you steal metal, you take it to a scrap dealer,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05you don't get asked any particular questions
0:13:05 > 0:13:07and you convert that into cash
0:13:07 > 0:13:08and you get the market price for it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Very, very easy.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11You know, for us,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13one of the keys is to shut that avenue down
0:13:13 > 0:13:17and make it much, much more difficult for someone who has metal
0:13:17 > 0:13:19to actually convert that into cash.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24But scrap dealers say they don't help thieves.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28First thing you see when you get here is,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30that's the stance that they're taking.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32"We don't want stolen metal."
0:13:32 > 0:13:35The lads out 'ere,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37they get a pep talk every week
0:13:37 > 0:13:39about keeping their eyes open,
0:13:39 > 0:13:40what to look for.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Mark Schofield's yard in Huddersfield
0:13:44 > 0:13:47deals with more than ten tonnes of scrap metal a day.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Really,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50this is the gold standard of scrap -
0:13:50 > 0:13:52dry, bright copper wire.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55That's what it's all about.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00That's what's inside most of the cable that's getting stolen
0:14:00 > 0:14:03in one form or another.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06This stuff's been £6 a kilo.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Once it's in that form,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10there's absolutely no way
0:14:10 > 0:14:15of telling where it came from.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17It's similar to
0:14:17 > 0:14:20what would be stolen from the railways.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22It doesn't say Network Rail.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25It's... You know, the reality is
0:14:25 > 0:14:28it's what a contractor is stripping out.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33No way of knowing. Absolutely no way of knowing.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35British Transport Police make
0:14:35 > 0:14:38regular inspections of scrap metal yards.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Just a bit further down.
0:14:40 > 0:14:41Just on the right.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Just en route now to Arthur Brotherton's.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47A part of our remit is just to go and visit them
0:14:47 > 0:14:50and try and educate them
0:14:50 > 0:14:51about taking in cable
0:14:51 > 0:14:54that could be possibly stolen.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Just making sure that they've got the right licences
0:14:57 > 0:15:00and explain to them that we're going to be visiting on a regular basis.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03That's him.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08So you can see straightaway here
0:15:08 > 0:15:11that we've got a guy with a flat-back transit
0:15:11 > 0:15:14with all the washing machines, railings and whatever,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and they come on a regular basis.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19PC Horbury wants to check this dealer's bins
0:15:19 > 0:15:23to see if he can recognise any stolen railway cable.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Just pop here for a second and just explain to me
0:15:25 > 0:15:27what you've got here.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29What sort of skips have you got at the moment?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32These are what plumbers bring in, copper and stuff,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36and then I sort it into separate tubs for different money.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38I don't ever keep a right lot
0:15:38 > 0:15:40cos you get burgled. I've been done before.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42- You've been burgled here?- Yeah.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Yeah.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48It's just household stuff, this, isn't it?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54You know when you take cable in,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57are you aware of some of the codes to look in?
0:15:57 > 0:15:58What are they, then?
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- Well, I've got me posters. - You've got them already.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02OK.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04On the side of these cables,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06we have certain codes.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09And I'll tell you the code, so you know it.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10It's 0005.
0:16:10 > 0:16:110005.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14So if you ever see any of that coding on cable, that's ours.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17That's ours. You know they brought out a law
0:16:17 > 0:16:18in 2002
0:16:18 > 0:16:21which basically means that if you get done for handling,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25right, basically, if you get done for three offences,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28so if we go through your books and we find that you've got three lots
0:16:28 > 0:16:30of metal that you've taken in,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33basically, we can do you for money laundering,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- handling... - I've been told that, yeah.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38And basically, then, what we can do
0:16:38 > 0:16:40is, we can strip you of all your assets.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41It's not worth it.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Not worth if for a couple of hundred quid's worth of cable.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It's not worth it, is it?
0:16:46 > 0:16:48I don't know...
0:16:48 > 0:16:53The police give out leaflets with mug shots of known metal thieves.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Do you know these people?
0:16:57 > 0:16:58I know all in there, near enough.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59Them.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Him, I've seen him before.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- Right.- I've seen him before.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- Is it a big help to you, that? - Well, what it is,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08it's me telling them, isn't it?
0:17:08 > 0:17:10It's me saying, "You can't come in."
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- Yeah.- And it makes it easier for me to say...
0:17:13 > 0:17:14I can't show 'em that,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16but I can say to 'em, "You're on that."
0:17:16 > 0:17:21"You're on a list given to us by West Yorkshire Police. I'm not allowed to take gear from you."
0:17:21 > 0:17:22From what he's telling me,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25there's been a big deterrent on our visits.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28He's taken on board everything we're saying in relation to cable thefts,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30and as far as he's concerned,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33people now know not to bother taking cable there any more
0:17:33 > 0:17:35because he just won't accept it.
0:17:35 > 0:17:41So as far as we're concerned, we're doing our job. It's good.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43St Patrick's Catholic Church
0:17:43 > 0:17:46has kept its doors open to the people of Birmingham
0:17:46 > 0:17:48for over a hundred years.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50The Lord be with you.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51CONGREGATION: And with thy spirit.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Until October 2011,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57when the church's CCTV caught bold metal thieves
0:17:57 > 0:18:01walking in off the street and stealing its prize possession.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05The central point of a Catholic church is the tabernacle,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07where the Blessed Sacrament is kept.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10And to show where the tabernacle is,
0:18:10 > 0:18:15there's always a sanctuary lamp burning somewhere.
0:18:15 > 0:18:21In this church, we had a lovely silver holder for the sanctuary lamp,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24which hung just in front of the altar.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28They came in
0:18:28 > 0:18:30knowing what they were going to do.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32They'd obviously been watching the place
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and knew there was nobody in there at the time.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39The thieves who took the sanctuary lamp
0:18:39 > 0:18:41still haven't been caught.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48It was 30 seconds they were in and out.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51And many of the parishioners
0:18:51 > 0:18:54were actually in tears over it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57He knew what he was doing because he blessed himself.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00He must have known what he was doing.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02That is the killing bit about it.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05I came in to Mass the next morning...
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I just broke down.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Because it was such a shock.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13WOMAN: We've had our children baptised in the church,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15made their first Communion,
0:19:15 > 0:19:16been Confirmed
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and married.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20All under that lamp.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Can't do that any more. It's gone.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24And the Son
0:19:24 > 0:19:25and the Holy Spirit.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31St Patrick's now has a replacement lamp,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33and has put security measures in place.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38I was so keen that the church should not be locked up.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40To me...
0:19:42 > 0:19:45..a locked church is a waste of space.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47You take the risk and you pay the price.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Metal thieves will take anything that isn't securely tied down.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Wearing high-visibility jackets,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06this pair posed as contractors as they helped themselves
0:20:06 > 0:20:11to a manhole cover in Birmingham in front of passers-by.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13In the leafy suburbs of Sutton,
0:20:13 > 0:20:14just outside London,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16it's reached epidemic levels.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So, er, another theft...
0:20:19 > 0:20:20of, um...gulley covers.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23We've had quite a few in the area lately.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28Anything up to, we've had 50-odd in one weekend before.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30It leaves a big hole.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34And, er, for anyone to fall down...
0:20:34 > 0:20:37it's seriously dangerous.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39You could lose your dog down there,
0:20:39 > 0:20:40let alone break a leg.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43A motorcycle, he'd go straight over the handlebars.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45We've even had cars stuck down them.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50After 200 of their gulley covers were stolen,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Sutton Council decided to replace the metal ones with plastic.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56This is the plastic one.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00It looks quite similar to the metal ones
0:21:00 > 0:21:02but, er..
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Yeah. Slightly lighter and, er,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10they're a lot cheaper to replace than the whole gulley itself.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12And literally...
0:21:12 > 0:21:14fits straight in, like so.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19And nobody wants 'em, so they're safe.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25All of Britain's utilities have fallen victim to metal theft,
0:21:25 > 0:21:30from our water supply to the cables we rely on for telephones and power.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Across the country there are 20 thefts a day
0:21:36 > 0:21:38from electricity substations.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40They now spend £12m a year
0:21:40 > 0:21:42on security.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46In all of our major substations, such as this one,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50what you'll find is a secure fence around all the live equipment
0:21:50 > 0:21:54and then another fence around the perimeter of the substation itself.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57We're absolutely clear, so people are well aware
0:21:57 > 0:22:01that if you come in here, the biggest risk to you
0:22:01 > 0:22:03is a risk of electrocution.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06This substation in Chatham stores electricity
0:22:06 > 0:22:08and distributes it to more than 200,000 homes
0:22:08 > 0:22:12and businesses in the area.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17The buzz bars overhead contain over 132,000 volts.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Buried under the pathway beneath them
0:22:21 > 0:22:23are steel pipes and copper cabling.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25That's what two thieves were after
0:22:25 > 0:22:28when they broke in one night.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30They were working all along this area.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32The slabs from where we're standing
0:22:32 > 0:22:36right up to the end of the transformer bay there were all lifted,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38and you can see them cutting it into manageable sections
0:22:38 > 0:22:41to get it back out the substation.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44You can actually see in the video where one guy lifts it up
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and it really makes you...
0:22:46 > 0:22:48take a sharp intake of breath,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50knowing how close he was
0:22:50 > 0:22:53to actually killing himself.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Which he wouldn't have seen. It was night.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59He probably wasn't even aware at that time that there were live buzz bars
0:22:59 > 0:23:01above his head.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03The pair were finally arrested a month later
0:23:03 > 0:23:05after their car was stopped
0:23:05 > 0:23:08with a large haul of copper piping in the back.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11They were convicted of conspiracy to steal
0:23:11 > 0:23:15from four different substations in the area.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17What they did certainly wasn't worth
0:23:17 > 0:23:19the risk of nearly killing themselves.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22I would estimate the metal that they stole,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24I would be amazed if they got more than £50.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I'd be amazed if they got more than £50.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30They risked their lives for £50.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33Over the last five years,
0:23:33 > 0:23:3720 people have been killed while trying to steal metal
0:23:37 > 0:23:39from electricity substations.
0:23:40 > 0:23:4216-year-old Ryan Woolams,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44from Rothwell, near Leeds,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46died in July 2011
0:23:46 > 0:23:48after he and a group of teenagers
0:23:48 > 0:23:51broke into Skelton Grange substation.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55A massive electric shock killed him instantly.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01The lads who were with him described what had happened.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06He unbolted some of holding down clamps
0:24:06 > 0:24:10and he actually acted as a conductor.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13The sort of voltage that was involved...
0:24:15 > 0:24:18It's just frightening to think that anybody
0:24:18 > 0:24:21who's not got experience with dealing with any sort of electricity
0:24:21 > 0:24:25should even be anywhere near, not even in the vicinity, you know.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27But it seemed not to have deterred Ryan.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Minutes before his death,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32he was said to have joked about getting an electric shock.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36And before that day he had repeatedly put himself in danger.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39On one occasion he was thrown 15 feet,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41so that must have been,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43obviously, um...
0:24:43 > 0:24:45a big one.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49But obviously if I'd known about this, I'd have put a stop to it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52And on occasions like this, you wish you'd done a lot more.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55He would have still been here
0:24:55 > 0:24:57had he not been doing something he shouldn't have been doing.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00And with electric, it's just...
0:25:00 > 0:25:04any cable, just stay well clear,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07because this is what can happen and it just destroys families.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Ken Dunn is a leading burns consultant.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15He's treated a number of metal thieves
0:25:15 > 0:25:18who have survived electric shock, but are badly burned.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Electrical injury is profoundly destructive.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26They are probably one of the most complicated injuries to assess
0:25:26 > 0:25:29and treat, and they are certainly one of the most devastating
0:25:29 > 0:25:32and ultimately disabling injuries to suffer.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Injuries from electric current
0:25:34 > 0:25:37can be far more serious than they at first seem.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41This type of injury does not look particularly severe,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44but because of the contact time with the circuit,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46the survivability of the tissue,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48particularly in the fingers,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51meant that, unfortunately, amputation was necessary
0:25:51 > 0:25:54for some of the damage to digits beyond repair.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Electric current not only carries a high risk of amputation,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02but it can damage organs
0:26:02 > 0:26:03throughout the body.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Where the current has flowed through the body,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09it creates continuing tissue damage,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11often in the muscles, certainly in the blood vessels,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and as a consequence
0:26:14 > 0:26:16that damage can be profound.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22The cenotaph at Carshalton in Surrey
0:26:22 > 0:26:26is one of a hundred thousand war memorials across the UK.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27Most have bronze or copper plaques
0:26:27 > 0:26:30to honour the men who gave their lives for their country.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36The War Memorials Trust estimates
0:26:36 > 0:26:39that one a week is being vandalised for its metal.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Rowena Preston's grandfather was a platoon sergeant
0:26:45 > 0:26:46in the First World War.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49This memorial is his only grave.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53She's come here with World War II veteran, Clifford Cooke.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56So, Clifford, this is my grandfather, Frederick Charles.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Or Grandad Fred, as I like to think of him.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02In 2011,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05the bronze plaques which held 700 names of soldiers
0:27:05 > 0:27:06who died in action
0:27:06 > 0:27:09were stolen by metal thieves.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13The only word I can really think of to describe such a person
0:27:13 > 0:27:15is "despicable".
0:27:15 > 0:27:18For anybody to go to the length they went, with crowbars,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21to remove 14 bronze plaques,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25that looked so wonderful on this particular memorial,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28what more can you say?
0:27:28 > 0:27:31They could have had no kind of...
0:27:31 > 0:27:34humanity in them.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37And they obviously would not regard any of these people
0:27:37 > 0:27:39as being worth remembering.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42These men gave their lives for this country.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46They gave their lives for the people that's taken the plaque off!
0:27:46 > 0:27:49That's the most important thing for me.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52SIREN WAILS
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Send 'em straight to Selby Road,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18A63 road bridge at the back of the old City Lights pub.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21At the back of the flats.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24That's the location that's been getting hit recently.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Send them there, if you could, please.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Sergeant Dawes and PC Smith
0:28:42 > 0:28:45head to where they think the thieves might go next.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50All the fencing panels have been pulled out.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53And there's a very...extremely steep banking,
0:28:53 > 0:28:57which leads directly on to the railway.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00This is a regular spot where thieves
0:29:00 > 0:29:02come to dump the cable's outer casing,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05which could identify where it came from.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07There's evidence of cable being stripped.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Cable sheathing.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13We can't say it's definitely Network Rail sheathing, but there's a good chance it is.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16They'll cut it, pull it down the banking, then strip it,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19either on the banking or take it somewhere else to strip it.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Either back gardens or sites out of the way,
0:29:22 > 0:29:28where they're not going to be seen by members of the public.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Some images have been sent on the log.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41If you could go and have a look for us, Phil,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44and if you think it's this lad, then we'll take further action on it.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Can we just have a quick word, love?
0:29:49 > 0:29:52There's been two incidents, right, relating to possible theft of cable.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54One last week and one tonight.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Information suggests he may be involved.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00The woman says that her son was at a party all night.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03If he's been at a party, that's something we can verify,
0:30:03 > 0:30:04but we need to speak, all right?
0:30:04 > 0:30:07So can you just go and get...? All right.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11Having had a good look at the 16-year-old,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15an officer comes out to check the CCTV images.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17This kid's been suggested that it's him,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19but when you look at this lad,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23from the build, you can quite clearly see it's not him.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27The one on both sets of photographs is stocky,
0:30:27 > 0:30:29he's got quite a fat bum and big legs.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32This kid's tall, slim.
0:30:32 > 0:30:33I think at the moment,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35the realistic situation is that
0:30:35 > 0:30:39we've been given the wrong name.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45As well as trying to solve crimes,
0:30:45 > 0:30:47the British Transport Police
0:30:47 > 0:30:49also try to prevent them.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51They visit young people at risk of offending
0:30:51 > 0:30:54in order to deter them from stealing metal.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56We've got four to do in this area.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00Hopefully they'll be in. We can speak to them individually.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03If they're not in, we can still disrupt through speaking to the parents.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Cos the parents won't want the police knocking on the door.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08So that's what we're going to do.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10- He's a cocky little- BLEEP,- this one.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11He knows all the cars.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14He opens the curtain and looks out and even waves at us!
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Police.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20We're here, really, just to remind you
0:31:20 > 0:31:22of the fact that we're out here
0:31:22 > 0:31:24watching the railway.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26From British Transport Police, right,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28and we're out here watching the railway.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Looking at people like YOU, who steal cable off the railway.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35- I don't steal cable!- Well, it's alleged that you do, mate.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40It's in your interest to answer your bail and stay off the railway.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Offender management does work and I'm a big believer in it.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47They know that we know who they are.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50They know that we know the places that they visit.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54The next person on their list
0:31:54 > 0:31:57is a 16-year-old who's been seen near railway tracks.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02The purpose of our visit tonight is to remind you
0:32:02 > 0:32:05that British Transport Police take cable theft very seriously.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Yep. All right.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Unless you're legitimately on the railway
0:32:10 > 0:32:12you've no other reason to be on it.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Nah, nah, I won't be going on it.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16I won't be going on it ever again.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18That's good. That's good. Do you mean that?
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Yeah, I am being truthful, aye.
0:32:21 > 0:32:22Honestly.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24OK. Do you realise how dangerous it is?
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Yeah, obviously.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29What can happen to you?
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- You can obviously burn, can't you? - What do you mean by burn?
0:32:32 > 0:32:34They all think it's a big joke.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Whether they're taking it seriously or not.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40But we give them the warning. If they listen to us, that's fine.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45In the market town of Warrington, in Cheshire,
0:32:45 > 0:32:49the callous disregard of metal thieves caused outcry
0:32:49 > 0:32:52when they stole a memorial plaque to the two child victims
0:32:52 > 0:32:54of an IRA atrocity.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59The council placed the plaque here
0:32:59 > 0:33:02because this was the first of two IRA bombs.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04This was the place where it detonated
0:33:04 > 0:33:06and it blew in the betting shop window
0:33:06 > 0:33:08on the other side of the road.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11So I was horrified
0:33:11 > 0:33:14and a feeling of disbelief that someone would be so...
0:33:14 > 0:33:15well, despicable,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18as to take something which had little metal value
0:33:18 > 0:33:19but a lot of emotional value.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25On the 20th March, 1993,
0:33:25 > 0:33:28two IRA bombs, which had been placed in litter bins
0:33:28 > 0:33:30along a busy shopping street,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32exploded within a minute of each other.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Colin Parry's 12-year-old son Tim
0:33:36 > 0:33:39and three-year-old Jonathan Ball,
0:33:39 > 0:33:40were killed
0:33:40 > 0:33:42and 54 people injured.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47This is where the second bomb went off.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50This is where Jonathan died and where Tim was fatally injured.
0:33:50 > 0:33:51Tim did die five days later,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53but this is the spot where he lay,
0:33:53 > 0:33:55there, behind the bin
0:33:55 > 0:33:57in which the bomb was planted.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03And the history of the bombing is on the edge of the dome.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11It insults memories. It insults events.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13It insults history in a way.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19It says a lot of base things about the kind of person
0:34:19 > 0:34:20who took that plaque.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35To make sure that the crime of metal theft doesn't pay,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37in 2012,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39the government brought in a new law
0:34:39 > 0:34:44to change the way scrap metal is bought and sold.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Does this go into a hard drive?
0:34:46 > 0:34:49- The...?- The CCTV.
0:34:49 > 0:34:50Yeah.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Up to that thing there.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Under the new rules,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58traders have to keep records of all their transactions
0:34:58 > 0:35:00and demand identification
0:35:00 > 0:35:02from customers.
0:35:02 > 0:35:03We're scanning everything in
0:35:03 > 0:35:05and then onto a memory stick
0:35:05 > 0:35:09and then it's uploaded on to...that.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14The measures are intended to make it easier to trace the seller
0:35:14 > 0:35:16if stolen metal is discovered in the yard.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20But scrap dealer Martin Craven has reservations.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Not everybody's got ID.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25It's photo ID that's the problem.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29It's like, a guy came in, he's been coming in 25 years.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Got a paper driving licence, never been abroad,
0:35:31 > 0:35:33so he's got no passport.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35The only photo ID he's got is a bloody bus pass.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40Scrap yards will also have to stop paying their customers in cash.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43At his yard in Huddersfield,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Mark Schofield is not happy with the changes.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Traditionally it's been cash.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52And of course, cash doesn't equal theft.
0:35:52 > 0:35:53From our point of view,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55it's a convenient method of payment.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Yes, they get paid cash, they have to stand there, they have to give their ID,
0:35:59 > 0:36:00they have to sign for it.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02We've got plenty of evidence to prove
0:36:02 > 0:36:05that every customer that's sold us scrap,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08the name, date, time, place is recorded.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12He believes the scrap dealers
0:36:12 > 0:36:14are victims, not villains.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19It's well documented that more metal is stolen at scrap yards
0:36:19 > 0:36:21than all the other victims put together.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23So where does that metal go?
0:36:23 > 0:36:24Well!
0:36:24 > 0:36:26You then come back to
0:36:26 > 0:36:28how do you detect stolen metal?
0:36:28 > 0:36:29You can't.
0:36:29 > 0:36:30It's impossible.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33We're probably all buying each other's stolen metal
0:36:33 > 0:36:35without even knowing we're doing it.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41When the metal leaves the scrap yard,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43it's even harder to detect.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45It's packed into enormous containers
0:36:45 > 0:36:49which are loaded onto ships bound for countries like China.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53Here in Felixstowe port,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56they ship more than three million containers a year.
0:36:58 > 0:36:59In a separate part of the port,
0:36:59 > 0:37:04British Transport Police conduct searches of suspicious containers.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Those two vehicles there,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08we've got to check the final details on them.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10But they are suspect vehicles.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13They use police intelligence
0:37:13 > 0:37:16to identify which containers to inspect.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21You can see it was just stuck on with double-sided tape.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24And there's the true identification on the back of the vehicle.
0:37:26 > 0:37:27In 2012,
0:37:27 > 0:37:32a search of 420 containers in ports all along the East Coast
0:37:32 > 0:37:36uncovered over half a million pounds' worth of stolen metal
0:37:36 > 0:37:37bound for China,
0:37:37 > 0:37:38West Africa
0:37:38 > 0:37:39and India.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45During the operation, a lot of the containers were opened
0:37:45 > 0:37:47that had scrap metal in, also car parts,
0:37:47 > 0:37:49broken-down cars,
0:37:49 > 0:37:50parts of,
0:37:50 > 0:37:51even cars cut in half.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55So the scrap and the stolen vehicles were very much mixed together.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57We're trying to build a puzzle, really,
0:37:57 > 0:37:59around what is going on with scrap metal.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02We're pretty certain it's organised crime groups behind it.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05It takes a lot of effort to steal infrastructure cabling.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07And this afforded us the opportunity
0:38:07 > 0:38:09to gather intelligence and information
0:38:09 > 0:38:13on exactly what scrap metal boxes are leaving this country,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15where they're going and who is shipping them out.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Increasingly, it looks like organised crime
0:38:18 > 0:38:20has moved in on the trade in stolen metal.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Between November 2011 and May 2012,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35thieves struck 22 times
0:38:35 > 0:38:39to steal a total of 6,000 metres of copper cable
0:38:39 > 0:38:43from this remote railway line in the Cotswolds.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46They left live wires dangerously exposed.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53A criminal gang had calculated that there was no CCTV...
0:38:54 > 0:38:58..and the police were unlikely to be in such a remote area.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Operation Distillery was set up in response to cable theft
0:39:01 > 0:39:04between Evesham and Morton-In-Marsh.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07We knew this was an organised criminal gang
0:39:07 > 0:39:09that were out to make a lot of money. And the way they were doing it,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13they were ripping the heart out of the rail infrastructure, effectively.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17The actual damage they've caused to the rail network in that area
0:39:17 > 0:39:19is over half a million pounds.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26At midnight, in cold winter snow, in February 2012,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29British Transport Police were patrolling the line
0:39:29 > 0:39:31when they saw two of the gang.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Knowing they'd been spotted, the thieves ran away
0:39:33 > 0:39:35to hide in a dark wood.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43At the moment, we've got three or four deer
0:39:43 > 0:39:47that we can see on the side with the two officers in the field.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50The police called in a helicopter to help with their search.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54But at first its thermal imaging doesn't show any human life.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57We're just checking to see if there's anything else,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59but, yeah, three or four deer at the moment.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Having located the thieves,
0:40:01 > 0:40:05the helicopter crew directs the ground crew towards them.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07They're still lying low within the wooded area.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10There's tracks, we can't see what that is.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13The wooded area directly beside you.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15We're just trying to reacquire them again.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17They're hiding behind a tree.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Yeah, they're now up and running
0:40:19 > 0:40:22from your direction.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Right, right, right, towards the wooded section.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26They're right in front of you.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28They're going to come out towards you, I believe.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33All units stand by.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Bloody excellent work!
0:40:39 > 0:40:42The arrests of these two men gave the police the opportunity
0:40:42 > 0:40:46to check their fingerprints against forensic evidence
0:40:46 > 0:40:48from the theft sites
0:40:48 > 0:40:52and to analyse their mobile phone records to find out who else was in the gang.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55It was the breakthrough they needed.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00It's 6am in Birmingham.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Now that the police know more about the metal theft gang,
0:41:03 > 0:41:05and where to find them,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08it's time to make a few house calls.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10All the addresses are nearby each other
0:41:10 > 0:41:12so by the time we all get there,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15there won't be time for anybody to phone anybody.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19It's just a question of going in and do the doors and that's it.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Police! Open up!
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Police!
0:41:28 > 0:41:31They find one of the men they're looking for.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35Do you understand that we've got a warrant to search the premises today?
0:41:35 > 0:41:36Yeah.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38OK. You're also being arrested
0:41:38 > 0:41:41on suspicion of conspiracy to steal railway cable.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43Railway cable? Me?
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Between November last year and May this year.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47- Me?- Yeah.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48But I working!
0:41:48 > 0:41:50No, I working!
0:41:50 > 0:41:51OK, well, you are under arrest.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53You do not have to say anything,
0:41:53 > 0:41:57but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- something which you later rely on in court.- OK.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Understand? - Yes, no problem.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06The search team have found something hidden inside a sofa in the garden.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Bolt croppers underneath the...
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Quite heavy-duty bolt croppers, I would suggest,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16and they are the type of bolt croppers found previously
0:42:16 > 0:42:21when we've discovered cable theft and tools have been abandoned by the side of the track.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25And upstairs there's more evidence
0:42:25 > 0:42:28that could link one of the arrested men to a crime scene.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33The crime scene examiner has recovered a footprint, basically,
0:42:33 > 0:42:39and we need to establish whether the boot or trainer matching the print is on the premises.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41So as they're a quite close match on the treads,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43we'll be seizing both pairs.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45And in a car owned by one of the men,
0:42:45 > 0:42:49they found half a tonne of copper cable.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Have you got any ID or anything?
0:43:00 > 0:43:01Sorry?
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Any identification cards? Passport?
0:43:04 > 0:43:06No. No passport.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10At the moment, there's no documentation for himself.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14But there's documentation for Russett, the person we're looking for.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17There's two bank cards here for Russett, right?
0:43:17 > 0:43:19Yeah.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20If he's...
0:43:20 > 0:43:21They're both valid,
0:43:21 > 0:43:24so I'm saying to you that somebody called Russett lives here
0:43:24 > 0:43:28While the police are outside trying to decide what to do next,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30their suspect arrives.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32Hang on. Jase!
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Jase! Jase!
0:43:38 > 0:43:39Stefan?
0:43:39 > 0:43:40Yes, sir.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43I'm arresting you on suspicion of conspiracy to steal
0:43:43 > 0:43:45electrical cable from the railway.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Hey, hey, come on.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53I'm not criminal. I not doing nothing wrong.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Come on, let's go.
0:43:55 > 0:44:00It's been a successful day for the British Transport Police.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02They've arrested their suspects,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06and later in court, the eight members of the gang
0:44:06 > 0:44:08all receive jail sentences.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11The ringleaders get four years each.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15Metal theft, as a whole, nationally,
0:44:15 > 0:44:17affects everybody commuting to work.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19It's your property that's being stolen.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21And we are tackling it.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23From the results today at court,
0:44:23 > 0:44:25where you've got these eight men
0:44:25 > 0:44:27that have been given a total of 20 years between them.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31It sends out a clear message that it's not worth it.
0:44:34 > 0:44:35The former metal thief, Matt,
0:44:35 > 0:44:38believes tougher sentences like these
0:44:38 > 0:44:41are just what's needed to deter people from stealing metal.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46You start putting people inside for it, behind bars, they'll start thinking twice about it.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50But as the price of metal stays high,
0:44:50 > 0:44:55the temptation to steal it could be around for sometime yet.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57We do not see a return to the lower metal prices
0:44:57 > 0:44:59at any time.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03It's all about the increasing demand from Southeast Asia,
0:45:03 > 0:45:05and when China stops growing,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08we can think about India, we can think about Indonesia,
0:45:08 > 0:45:10we can think about Brazil taking over that baton.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14And so that will continue to increase prices.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd