Police appeal for more tip-offs as metal thefts surge

Tip-offs have led to four arrests in North Yorkshire in less than 24 hours as officers step up operations to tackle thieves keen to exploit the dramatic increase in the cost of lead and copper.

The four suspected thieves who were held following two separate incidents have now been bailed while inquiries continue.

Inspector Sarah Sanderson, who is investigating both incidents, said: "Members of the public act as the eyes and ears of the police and their help is invaluable in the fight against crime."

Police were called to Easingwold at about 1.40am on Thursday last week after householders reported hearing noises on the roofs of their Chapel Street properties.

A police dog was used to track down a man, aged in his 20s, who was arrested at the town's Galtres Centre, although a second suspect is thought to have sped off in a vehicle. A pile of lead which is believed to have been dumped by the thieves was recovered nearby.

Three arrests were then made near Leyburn later the same day after police received a call from land managers at the Tupgill Park Estate, near Coverham.

Three suspects were spotted on the estate at about 1.10pm attempting to remove a metal cover. They then drove away in a pick-up truck when confronted by the staff.

Two men, aged 19 and 24, and a 16-year-old youth were arrested in nearby Middleham on suspicion of theft.

The Yorkshire Post revealed yesterday that cash-strapped local authorities are paying out hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to repair damage caused by metal thieves who have targeted often historic buildings, including schools and cemeteries.

It emerged in September last year that the soaring price of copper had led to one of the region's electricity companies, CE Electric UK, witnessing a staggering 25-fold increase in the number of trespassing offences in the past five years.