Nearly two thousand homes in Cambridge had their phones cut off in February when several hundred metres of BT’s underground copper cables were stolen.

Across the UK, churches have been badly hit with lead roofing being ripped off, with insurance claims of more than £8million in the past 12 months compared to £1million in the previous year.

According to Andrew Ward, Risk Manager at Towergate’s Bury St Edmunds’ office, these are just two examples of the huge increase in metal theft across the UK. He says: The value of non-ferrous metals have more than doubled as a result of the booming demand from India and China in particular. School roofs, manhole covers and power lines have all been targeted as millions of pounds worth of metal have been stolen.

It is estimate that in Cambridgeshire metal theft is up 170% in a year, in West Mercia 120%, in the West Midlands 112% and 100% in Warwickshire and Sussex.

The theft of rail signalling copper has, according to British Transport Police, become its biggest problem after terrorism.

Commercial premises have been targeted too. There have been instances where thieves have broken into buildings through the walls of adjoining units, work in progress being taken from production lines and vacant buildings nearly wrecked by water pipes and other metal fittings being stripped out – resulting in serious damage”.

Andrew Ward offers the following advice:-

• Review your physical security arrangements. The site perimeter, building exterior and high value stores are all areas to consider.
• Is your intruder alarm system adequate – not just the office area?
• Consider a CCTV system.
• Make sure you have the right insurance cover. Have you increased your sums insured to cover the raised values?
• Make sure your business continuity plan includes your plans to deal with raw material shortage.