UNDERCOVER police are testing scrap dealers in the latest bid to cut down on illegal metal trading.

A rise in scrap metal thefts and reports of stolen lead and cable from East Lancashire’s railways has prompted a joint crackdown between neighbourhood officers and British Transport Police.

The price of scrap metal rises during the summer because good weather makes it easier to ship.

That increases the demand from overseas countries such as China and India, with local criminals looking to cash in.

Anyone who has previously been arrested for theft of scrap metal can expect a visit from police, who said they had already made ‘several arrests’.

The plain clothes test sales will check dealers are complying with legal obligations which dictate scrap metal sellers must be registered and any transactions logged.

The operation also involves specialist teams from operational support units and road policing carrying out regular patrols of vulnerable businesses and locations to deter any thieves.

Sergeant Kevin Jones, who is running the operation from Blackburn police, said: “Thieves often go to extraordinary lengths to steal scrap metal including thefts from electricity sub-stations.

“Most thefts involve the stealing of lead from the roofs of people’s homes. The first they know about the theft is when it starts to rain.

“This is just the start of a wider operation which will target people that seek to profit from crime by way of cashing in at local dealers.”