The theft of scrap metals, which has been on the rise due to the high global demand for raw materials increasing their value, has struck again in Co Antrim. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is appealing for information after £10,000 worth of metal and other items was taken from a vacant house in Dunmurry.
The vacant house on Groganstown Road had the heating system removed from the property, the lead removed from the roof, the oil from the tank, and the external oil pump was also taken. The radiators had been removed from the walls; however they had not been stolen.
“A significant amount of water damage was caused to the ground and first floors,” the PSNI said in a statement.
The police are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity around the property between June 28th and July 4th, or anyone with any other information to contact Lisburn police station on 084-5600-8000.
The theft of metal such as copper has been an issue for householders and businesses in Northern Ireland and the Republic, with companies such as Eircom losing €600,000 worth of metal in 37,000m of telephone cable stolen last year.
Gardaí arrested 25 people in May as part of an ongoing Europe-wide operation targeting metal theft.
Earlier this year Assistant Garda Commissioner Derek Byrne said the force was dealing with about 2,500 incidents of metal theft a year. At a time of high global demand for raw materials, thieves were targeting many types of metal, typically lead and copper but also, increasingly, steel, he said.