Cash sales ban hailed as 'positive step' in fight against metal theft (From The Oxford Times)

Cash sales ban hailed as 'positive step' in fight against metal theft

9:50am Tuesday 31st January 2012 in Bicester

A MAJOR step in the battle against metal thieves looks set to be won after a campaign by the president of an Oxfordshire rail campaign group.

Lord Faulkner, president of the Cotswold Line Promotion group, tabled a Private Member’s Bill last year which would see cash transactions for scrap metal made illegal.

Now Home Secretary Theresa May has announced amendments to the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill which would do just that.

Lord Faulkner said that the scale of metal theft had reached “epidemic proportions”, touching almost every aspect of life.

He said he was delighted by the planned amendments to the bill.

Lord Faulkner added: “This is precisely the approach that I have been urging. I have received scores of messages of support from concerned individuals and organisations. They are unanimous that an essential first step in reforming the law is to outlaw the use of cash in settling transactions.”

Meanwhile, remaining homes and businesses cut off by cable thieves should have their phonelines and internet reconnected today.

Thieves cut off the area around Steeple Aston more than a week ago by stealing almost 1,000 metres of copper cabling from BT’s telephone exchange.

The raid on January 20 caused a blackout of about 350 properties.

A spokeswoman for BT said all properties should be reconnected by the end of today.