UK Copper and Lead Theft Hotspots Revealed 

NEW RESEARCH reveals the UK cities and towns which have the most reported copper and lead theft over the past five years.

The data, which was obtained from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the UK’s police forces by renovation and building specialists Roofing Megastore, revealed the areas of the country which are at most risk of having popular building materials such as copper and theft, stolen from their homes or local buildings. 

Top Copper and Lead Thefts 

Sheffield and Preston are the cities with the most building material thefts, each with 482 reported crimes since 2017. Nine out of the top ten cities with the most reported thefts are based in the north of the country, with towns and cities including Burnley, Doncaster, and Barnsley all ranking in the top ten.  

Additionally, 10 cities that fall under Lancashire Constabulary ranked in the top 25 list, while three cities from the Humberside area also placed in the top 25. Cities and towns policed by the South Yorkshire Police only appeared four times in the top 25 list, however the four towns that were included (Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield), each reported over 245 total crimes, placing them in the top ten. 

Amongst the southern destinations which ranked in the top 25 cities, were three towns from Kent (Canterbury, Ashford and Margate), and towns in the middle and south of England, including Norwich, Worksop South and Dudley. Meanwhile, only one Welsh town made the top 25 list, with Llanelli reporting 105 building material thefts since 2017.  

Most Building Material Thefts 

Northern areas of the UK reported the highest numbers of copper and lead thefts, with Lancashire Constabulary ranking in first position with 2,712 reported crimes during the years 2017 – 2022. Other northern areas, including those which fall under Cleveland, Northumbria and South Yorkshire police forces all ranked in the top areas with the most thefts, each having reported over 1,300 during the same time period. 

Ranking in positions six to ten were several areas covering the Midlands, with Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire police areas ranking in 7^th, 8^th and 10^th positions, respectively.  

The nation’s capital, and surrounding areas covered by the City of London police force ranked in 28^th position – reporting just nine copper and lead thefts over the past half a decade. 

Overall, copper and lead theft reports in 2021 from the 28 police forces totalled 1,667 – down almost 37% from 2020’s total (2,277 reported thefts). 

Report Metal Theft

Gian-Carlo Grossi, Managing Director at Roofing Megastore said: “The first step when you discover you’ve been robbed is always to report it to the police, either by phone or online. Following this, you’ll need to determine what impact the missing lead may have on your property. For example, missing lead, particularly if located at an abutment to a wall, could quickly result in water ingress. If left unfixed, this could cause damage that can easily cost thousands of pounds to put right, and may also cause structural issues over time. 

“When it comes to protecting your home’s exterior and deterring building material thieves, there are a few options – though perhaps the most effective would be an alarm and CCTV system. Not only can these put off any potential thieves, but the footage can add a great deal of clarity when it comes to reporting the crime. Naturally, this may not be a preferred method by many, especially if you only have a small amount of copper or lead on your roof. A far cheaper alternative then could be to install a dummy camera – though bear in mind these can often be picked out by experienced burglars.

“In much the same vein, dusk till dawn lighting can also ward off potential thieves. Motion sensors in particular are a sound investment with infra-red switching on lights only when needed, keeping costs low. To aid in the effectiveness of these lights, you should also take care to keep trees and other vegetation cut back, maximising your home’s natural surveillance.” 

See the full list of the towns, cities and police force areas which have experienced the most lead and copper thefts over the past half a decade.

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