COMPANIES are urging the Government to crack down on the rising problem of metal thefts.

Mike Cherry, chairman of the West Midlands Business Council's Regional Business Crime Forum, has written to Home Office Minister Alan Campbell, urging him to increase the penalties for criminals involved in metal theft, which he says is blighting businesses.

He said: "We believe the law needs to be changed to make life difficult for the criminals.

"The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 allows dubious people to sell metal at a moment's notice and get cash for the privilege.

But if the payments for metal were not made by cash, this would, at least, deter the opportunistic criminals making our lives a misery.

"The fines associated with the Scrap Metal Dealers Act are pathetic. Just £1,000 if a dealer does not register with the local council and only £200 if a dealer does not record a transaction properly and – again – just £200 if someone selling metal is caught giving a false name and address.

"With the financial rewards for dealing in this black market being so high, we need to make these fines bite and so make the criminals think again."

Staffordshire Police set up a special unit – Operation Amalgam – in April to tackle metal thefts in North Staffordshire. Since then officers have made more than 70 arrests and recovered stolen metal with an estimated value of more than £500,000.