LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's largest ever haul of stolen metal has been found by detectives at a scrapyard in Staffordshire.
More than 350 tonnes of stolen rail track, other rail equipment, metal beer kegs, cabling and fencing were seized by officers from British Transport Police and Staffordshire Police.
The material is estimated to be worth more than 700,000 pounds.
"With the high price of metals on world commodity markets, metal and cable theft has become a significant problem for the rail industry, utilities and telecommunications providers," said BTP's Detective Sergeant Tony Nugent.
"This has been a major seizure and scrap dealers need to be aware that police forces across the country are co-operating in a crackdown on metal theft."
Officers raided the yard in Cheadle on Wednesday and arrested a 43-year-old local man.
Earlier this month, council leaders said high scrap prices had led to a sharp rise in the theft of manholes and drain covers, fuelling a boom in metal theft estimated to cost Britain millions of pounds a year.
How does anybody steel 350 tons of railway track, it not something you can sneak into the back of a Ford Transit is it?
