Update: Richard Ottoway MP now confirmed as a speaker. Mr Ottoway will be taking the Metal Theft Private Member's Bill through Parliament with the support of the LGA and Government.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Crowther, ACPO lead on Metal Theft, will also be presenting.

With disruptions to rail services, interruptions to telecommunications, and the desecration of cemeteries there is growing cross-party parliamentary support to tackle metal theft.  Multi-agency action at a local level is already being taken to catch metal thieves, but the Government is looking to back this up with a package of measures designed to reduce the amount of metal theft.  At the core of these proposals are tighter regulations governing the operation of metal recycling facilities, an approach that has been shown to work elsewhere in Europe.  Councils will have a key role to play in enforcing the changes made to the regulations around scrap metal dealers that are due to come into force in the autumn, and may well be given the responsibility for administering and enforcing a new licensing regime for scrap metal dealers.

This unique one-day conference will provide an opportunity to:

•Look at developing trends in metal theft and what that means for enforcement activity;
•Discuss what the move to cashless transactions for scrap metal dealers and the increased penalties for offences under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 mean for councils;
•Explore what a new licensing regime for metal recycling facilities may look like and councils' role in enforcing it;
•Hear about existing best practice in reducing metal theft including the registration of itinerant dealers, and designing out metal theft; and
•Learn about joint partnership work between the police and councils to tackle metal theft.

Please visit http://www.local.gov.uk/web/guest/events/-/journal_content/56/10171/3492131/EVENT-TEMPLATE to book your place.