A BLITZ on metal theft, which has been plaguing the region’s railways, is already paying dividends with a 69 per cent drop in such crimes, police have revealed.

British Transport Police said that recorded metal thefts in their North-Eastern region had been cut from 248 to 78 since April.

The drop follows the launch of Operation Tornado, a campaign which aims to stem the flow of stolen metal to unscrupulous scrap dealers, where it is exchanged for cash.

Tornado was trialled in Cleveland, Durham and Northumberland between January and April and then extended into North Yorkshire.

It is now being introduced in other parts of the country.

The majority of scrapyards across the region have now signed up to the scheme, which means dealers can only buy metal items on production of valid photo ID, proving their identity, and they must maintain photocopied records of transactions for a period of six months.

Tornado is being led by the Association of Chief Police Officers, Transport Police, British Metals Recycling Association and the Home Office.

British Transport Police’s Deputy Chief Constable, Paul Crowther, said: “Tornado is proving very successful so far.

"For instance, on the railways in the North-East we have seen a 69 per cent fall in metal theft.

“However, this needs to be sustainable in the long-term and Tornado is impacting mainly on scrap dealers who are working within the law.

“We still need the powers to close down those few unscrupulous dealers who operate outside the law.”

Mr Crowther called for a robust regulatory framework to be introduced alongside police powers to deal effectively and permanently with the crime, which he said had “blighted communities all over Britain for too long”.

Transport police said half of the thefts reported on the region’s railway since April involved live operational cable, which, as a result, had caused considerable disruption to services.

Soaring prices for metals such as copper in recent years had led to an explosion in metal theft, with thieves not only targeting the railway, but power cables, utilities pipework, telecommunications cabling, residential properties, businesses and catalytic converters from vehicles.

Every police force in the country will be taking part in further co-ordinated action this week against metal thieves.