SUSPECTED rogue scrap metal dealers across Somerset have been arrested in a police crackdown.

Officers made 15 arrests and executed five search warrants at five dealers in Taunton, Radstock, Huish and Dundry.

The warrants follow a five-month investigation and a series of covert compliance testing following the introduction of new law.

Det Supt Mark Saunders said: "During our work over the past year, we have found the majority of scrap metal dealers are entirely legitimate businesses operating within the law. However, there is a minority who we believe to be operating criminally.

"Our activities follow five months of investigation. We concentrated on yards where we had intelligence that led us to suspect they were operating illegally and knowingly receiving stolen metal.”

Over 60 officers were involved in today's (July 23) operation and representatives from Western Power, National Grid, Network Rail and the Environment Agency were also involved.

Various items of metal and cabling, suspected to be stolen, were seized along with computers and financial documents.

Arrests were predominantly made on suspicion of handling stolen goods and further suspected offences are also being investigated.

Earlier this year the Home Office - with the backing of minister and Taunton Deane MP Jeremy Browne - announced a new Scrap Metal Dealers Act in a bid to tackle the estimated 1,000 metal thefts carried out each week in the UK.

Railway lines, statues, plaques and railings are among the metal items stolen costing the country around £220m each year.

The act has seen the outlawing of cash payments in scrap yards and the introduction of a photographic ID scheme for customers.

Det Supt Saunders added: “In the last 12 months we have seen metal theft drop by 50% in the South West and 62% in this force area.

"However, we aren't complacent. We have successfully dealt with a lot of the more opportunistic thieves and are now looking at the serious and organised crime element and those who handle the stolen metal.”