The Local Government Association (LGA) proposes measures including a ban on cash payments so sellers can be traced.

easier 2 return all thieving pikey's 2 ireland and anyone caught thieving from our churches or memorials should be publicly birched then deported from whatever shitehole they crawled out of - if born in the UK then give them ten years hard labour - perhaps banning cash payments may create an obstacle initially but I am sure they will find a way round this quite quickly - security camera's should record the face of EVERYONE flogging scrap they should also be made 2 declare where they obtained it from

"Because of the lax regulation of the scrap metal industry, thieves can make a quick buck from unscrupulous dealers," said the LGA's Mehboob Khan.

Metal theft is estimated to cost the UK economy £770m per year.

The LGA proposals also include installation of CCTV with automatic number plate recognition in scrapyards, and the requirement that dealers keep a log of sellers' details.

They also want scrapyards to renew their licences every year.

Mr Khan, chairman of the LGA's safer and stronger communities board, said: "If we are to clamp down on thieves causing chaos and heartbreak by plundering metal for a quick profit, we need to give councils power to ensure the industry is properly run."

Prime Minister David Cameron has called metal theft, particularly from war memorials, "an absolutely sickening and disgusting crime".

The War Memorials Trust estimates one monument is vandalised per week for its bronze, copper or other metal

"It is utterly shameless and beyond contempt that anyone would desecrate the memory of those who have given their lives for their country in this way," said Mr Khan.

"The value of these metal plaques far surpasses any price these heartless thieves will get for the metal.

"Often they are the only remaining source of information on people from an area who have paid the ultimate price while serving their country."

The government has said it is working with the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) to come up with a plan to tackle the problem.

I think a 9mm overdose of lead , administered through the back of the head would curb a thieving pikey .

We had a local idiot get killed trying this shit recently. He tried to steal copper cable... from an active electrical substation.

Tattooed_Hoodlum wrote:

We had a local idiot get killed trying this shit recently. He tried to steal copper cable... from an active electrical substation.

he is cured now though - are they going 2 fine him ??

They should randomly switch the power back on to see how many are fried. This would soon resolve the Pikey problem.