This is Plymouth -- SCRAP dealers and white van drivers were the focus of a police operation today, with officers checking for stolen scrap metal and valid licences. A stop check zone was set up at the Barbican Leisure Park with officers in marked and unmarked cars pulling over vans and trucks for spot checks. Over the morning more than 30 vehicles were brought into the area and given thorough inspections. The operation followed changes to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act which came into force in October requiring all scrap collectors, sellers and buyers be licensed with their local authority. Police Sergeant Paul Laity, who was behind the operation, said the purpose of the morning was more to educate than to enforce.
"We are certainly not here to penalise anyone," he said. "By being on the roadside we are a visible deterrent. "It is about educating and enforcing today but we are educating more than enforcing." Officers gave words of advice to a number of drivers caught out with broken lights or low tyres, while one van had no MOT. Another man was arrested for driving whilst disqualified and without insurance and as a result his flat bed truck was seized. But it wasn't just vehicle offences – one man was stopped by officers for a public order offence after gesturing at police officers. The operation was run with partner agencies including Plymouth City Council, Western Power Distribution, British Transport Police and the MoD Police. Sgt Laity also had resources from the force ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) team, the police professional development unit and other local policing officers from Charles Cross. Various checks were carried out including fuel tanks for red diesel, insurance and driving licence and also for the up-to-date scrap metal dealers licence. Later in the afternoon the team moved onto the roads carrying out roadside stop and searches as a visible deterrent. The new act means dealers can either have a site licence or a mobile collectors licence – not both – and must get that from the local authority in the area they wish to operate. Bristol has seen a spate of thefts in the past year but Plymouth doesn't currently have a metal theft problem – Sgt Laity said he wanted to ensure it stayed that way. He said: "Metal theft affects trade and the community – we don't want to see those horrible stories where people steal lead from a church roof or from a school. "We will be doing this again, trying to make it a reoccurring operation. We want to make sure we are not the next city with a metal theft problem." Reported by This is 7 hours ago.
"We are certainly not here to penalise anyone," he said. "By being on the roadside we are a visible deterrent. "It is about educating and enforcing today but we are educating more than enforcing." Officers gave words of advice to a number of drivers caught out with broken lights or low tyres, while one van had no MOT. Another man was arrested for driving whilst disqualified and without insurance and as a result his flat bed truck was seized. But it wasn't just vehicle offences – one man was stopped by officers for a public order offence after gesturing at police officers. The operation was run with partner agencies including Plymouth City Council, Western Power Distribution, British Transport Police and the MoD Police. Sgt Laity also had resources from the force ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) team, the police professional development unit and other local policing officers from Charles Cross. Various checks were carried out including fuel tanks for red diesel, insurance and driving licence and also for the up-to-date scrap metal dealers licence. Later in the afternoon the team moved onto the roads carrying out roadside stop and searches as a visible deterrent. The new act means dealers can either have a site licence or a mobile collectors licence – not both – and must get that from the local authority in the area they wish to operate. Bristol has seen a spate of thefts in the past year but Plymouth doesn't currently have a metal theft problem – Sgt Laity said he wanted to ensure it stayed that way. He said: "Metal theft affects trade and the community – we don't want to see those horrible stories where people steal lead from a church roof or from a school. "We will be doing this again, trying to make it a reoccurring operation. We want to make sure we are not the next city with a metal theft problem." Reported by This is 7 hours ago.