Metal theft plagues London

Metal theft in the UK has become such a big problem that police in London have created a unit dedicated to tackling the crime.

As well as taking thousands of dollars worth of telecoms cable and copper wire, thieves are becoming more audacious - targeting public statues and war memorials in what has become a lucrative business.

The thefts include a piece of work by the celebrated sculptor Barbara Hepworth, that had been standing in a park in south London since 1970 and was insured for $800,000, which was stolen earlier this month.

Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports from London.

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[Silveready1]

Metal theft was greatly reduced in California by requiring I.D. when cashing in Metals and then they will send you a Check to the mailing address on the I.D. card.

[mentalist1066]

@MONOPOLY35 "Aluminium" is in fact the correct term for the said element and aluminum is just US English.

[mieroth]

@asif365: So you approve of thievery except when British people did it in the past? There's a word for that: hypocrisy. And the IMF is an international organization not even headquartered in the UK. That you feel the need to blame UK for all of your problems says all I need to know about you. Also - I'm not British.

[TheAnubisDrake]

@mieroth This isn't Norway they are talking about, so your argument is makes little to no sense.

[asif365]

@mieroth I dont even live in UK;

Did you just admit that you stole the kohinoor, taxed and slaved poor Indians and currently through imf, your fiat currency and compound interest still enslaving them?

My friend Karma is a bitch? deal with it.

[mieroth]

@TheAnubisDrake: Given that Eastern European criminal gangs are also known for stealing metal in Norway - one of the richest and most equal countries in the world - your hypothesis makes little sense.

[mieroth]

@asif365: So you admit that you're a thief?

[BenNCM]

They probably weren't doing it in the 1930's because there wasn't the easy of access to a market in which to sell it. The world is much smaller now and as a result business opportunities abound.

[wabdinur]

1:12 -What's going on over the reporter's left shoulder?

[merlock101]

@adrianRK They're the main culprits of metal theft in Britain, yes. Or Irish travelers rather.

[merlock101]

@daniel27121993 They don't? You're joking, right?

[ArtStone]

My memory is Qaddaffi said a plague of locusts would devour Europe if his government was destroyed