POLICE say they have seen a remarkable drop in incidents of cable theft on the railways in the region following a raft of preventative measures – but officers say there is no room for complacency.

Figures for the North-East region, which also includes Yorkshire, show that between April and October there were 180 cable theft offences on the railway.

This is down 66 per cent on the 512 offences committed during the same period last year. Yesterday saw a national metal-theft day of action coordinated by the police, Network Rail and other agencies – the latest of several in recent years.

Meanwhile, changes to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act, expected by the end of this year, will outlaw all cash transactions at metal recycling yards and will also see a significant increase in fines for unscrupulous scrap metal dealers who fail to abide by the rules.

Once a legislative bill in Parliament is passed, it will become a legal requirement for sellers of scrap metal to provide proof of identification.

Metal recyclers will also be fully licensed and have to keep detailed records, which will be subject to a regular audit.

Detective Inspector Stuart Mellish, of British Transport Police, said: “The reductions seen in the past six months have been remarkable.

“The significant reductions mean that fewer people are having their rail journeys disrupted as a result of cable theft, and thieves are having less impact on the lives of our communities.

“But there is no room for complacency and there is still much to be done.”

Phil Verster, managing director for Network Rail’s London to North-East route, said: “Rail passengers in the North- East and Yorkshire have suffered at the hands of metal thieves for too long.

“Working with the police, we have invested millions of pounds protecting the railway and prosecuting thieves.

“While we are having some success driving down the number of crimes, we need full reform of the law, which crushes the market for stolen metal to make a long-term difference.”