Metal theft was the single largest threat to the UK’s infrastructure, heritage and transport systems between 2009 and the introduction of the new Scrap Metal Dealers Act in December 2013; it was never far from the headlines, costing the UK economy £770m per year and was spiralling out of control with little being done to tackle it.
No sectors were exempt and the gas industry suffered its fair share of thefts and disruption.
It was not uncommon to come across excessive numbers of cylinders being sold to unscrupulous scrap dealers. There were also reports of cylinders exploding in large shredders and even worse reports of thieves removing valves with sledge hammers to empty the contents, either oblivious to the risks or willing to take them; such was the cash value of the metal.
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