Metal thieves

[eastdulwichproperty]

Please be alert to 2 men in a van, this morning at 7am they broke into our back garden and stole a large amount of lead and copper. If anyone saw them on Underhill Road near the junction of Melford Road and have a description that would be amazing. For all metal thieves out there - anything of value has now been taken so please don't bother coming back. Everyone please take care and lock up anything of value even if it is the back garden.

[Green Goose]

Have you got a better description of the vehicle like colour, size, make or any unique features?

How do you know it was 2 men? Did you see them?

As Tesci says, "Every little bit helps"

[eastdulwichproperty]

Unfortunately that is all I could understand from my Polish builder, he disturbed them when he arrived but sadly his English is lacking. I will try to get some more detail via Google translate in the morning

[Sue]

Is your back garden visible from the road?

[eastdulwichproperty]

Hi

Yes, I'm afraid it is at the moment, I should have got this taken to the scrap yard so partly my fault

[Green Goose]

There are opportunists who do nothing other than slowly "travel" the streets every day ( You could therefor call them "travelers").

They use white vans or a small truck. They are purely on the lookout for opportunistic "collections" ie anything that isn't bolted down. The vehicle may well have a sign saying refuse collection/disposal.

If they see a skip, they will pounce. They take particular interest also where they see a tradesman's vehicle parked in a residential street as there may be easy pickings as the trademan works on-site. Anything is fair game. Therefor do not leave a ladder, bicycle, tools or anything unattended.

They are very quick and if challenged they will say that they thought that the item was being discarded and because the item wasn't secured, then they can get away with it.

That's all they do. That is the way they run their "business".

I reported on once to the police but didn't hear anything subsequently. Nabbing them is not easy.

[MissMadMoo]

eastdulwichproperty Wrote:

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> For all metal thieves out there -

> anything of value has now been taken so please

> don't bother coming back.

Thanks for the heads up!

Best regards

Metal Thief x

[steveo]

I saw some dodgy lads trying to lever up a drain cover and rang the cozzers. They arrived in seconds and stood right behind the unaware perps watching them doing it, then slapped on went the cuffs.

It was comedy magic

[Sue]

An old radiator, two broken ovens and a clapped out washing machine disappeared in about five minutes when left outside my house.

I was delighted :))

[bobbsy]

I live near the intersection you describe - a week or two ago I saw people meeting this description, very early in the morning (6/6.30 ish), working from a large white van (something like a large Transit, high roof and long wheelbase). One man driving, the other walking the sidewalk ahead of the van and foraging through skips (there are two on the street at the moment)- anything of interest he placed on the sidewalk and van man stopped and quickly picked it up. They were moving quickly so by the time I realised what was happening they were gone - both men medium height, dark brown hair, olive skin. Not much more to go on I'm sorry, but by the sounds of it they are along regularly.

[ruffers]

Is there a problem with people taking stuff out of skips?

[eastdulwichproperty]

Thanks bobbsy

That matches the description I have painfully extracted from my builder today. I plan to get up early tomorrow and lie in wait to take the reg number just in case it is a daily trip. I don't mind them foraging in skips but when they break in and take ?100-?200 of lead and copper that is different.

[Penguin68]

To answer ruffers, 'no, not at all'. Indeed helpful people clearing skips means that the householder can throw more away, hence getting greater value for money out of his/ her skip hire.

The problem, surely, is in entering premises and removing objects not being put out for disposal (which includes making bold decisions about building materials not actually locked away) - which is what the OP was complaining about.

It may have been the same people who did both, but skip trawling is entirely OK in my book, indeed, in the sense that goods are being recycled and not land-filled, skip trawling is wholly commendable.

[eastdulwichproperty]

I certainly encourage skip hunting and do so myself on a regular basis...the stuff some people throw away! The polite thing is to ask the owner of the skip that it is ok to take stuff first though, 99% of the time they are delighted

[lofty23]

Penguin68 Wrote:

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> To answer ruffers, 'no, not at all'. Indeed

> helpful people clearing skips means that the

> householder can throw more away, hence getting

> greater value for money out of his/ her skip

> hire.

I think the value of the skip hire is just about evened out against those who dump stuff in it without asking.

[Blah Blah]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> An old radiator, two broken ovens and a clapped

> out washing machine disappeared in about five

> minutes when left outside my house.

>

> I was delighted :))

Ha Ha! Must admit I've left scrap metal items outside myself, knowing these guys will 'collect' it. Jumping into someone's rear garden is naughty though. They knew they were stealing.

[Sue]

I have just challenged somebody taking a load of metal things from a front garden in Ulverscroft Road.

He has put them back (but may have retrieved them again after I went in).

He said they were "rubbish" - I said they were in somebody's garden and not his to take.

He then made a play of ringing their doorbell, but no idea if he did.

White transit, unfortunately I think I must have written the reg number down wrong as I have GYSZ NCA which can't possibly be right, could be GY52 NGA or G952. Sorry, had to try and remember it while I went to get a pen, and then he was gone.

Black guy, middleish age, in yellow safety jacket thing.

ETA: Before someone accuses me of double standards, the things left outside my house were not in my garden but propped against a skip.

[DulwichFox]

The Metal Thieves as the thread title suggests are going to have a field day

when the council starts installing Bicycle Hangers

Christmas every day :)

DulwichFox

[phobic3000]

HA HA HAAAAAAR!!!!

MissMadMoo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> eastdulwichproperty Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > For all metal thieves out there -

> > anything of value has now been taken so please

> > don't bother coming back.

>

>

> Thanks for the heads up!

>

> Best regards

> Metal Thief x

[Sue]

Yet another one in Ulverscroft Road this afternoon, this time on a bike.

Going through front gardens and putting stuff in his backpack.

When I challenged him, he told me to mind my own business.

Some sort of (East?) European accent and light brownish skin, high vis jacket.

As there seem to be loads of these people about, it's probably a good idea not to leave anything at all in your garden unless you want it nicked :(

[bobbsy]

That's appalling. Anything in front of the house (ie skip on the road or on the footpath) I think is fair game. But in the yard is not.

[Sue]

bobbsy Wrote:

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> That's appalling. Anything in front of the house

> (ie skip on the road or on the footpath) I think

> is fair game. But in the yard is not.

Agreed.

Unfortunately in roads like Ulverscroft, with very small front gardens, anything in them is both easy to see and mostly easy to reach without even going through the gate.

[Laddy Muck]

Sue, they also operate on our allotment so don't leave anything metalic out (unless you want to get rid of it). x

[Sue]

Laddy Muck Wrote:

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> Sue, they also operate on our allotment so don't

> leave anything metalic out (unless you want to get

> rid of it). x

Oh bloody hell :(

How do they get in??

No don't post it on here, may give all the metal thieves reading this thread a heads-up ..... :))

[cornishpasty999]

My wife reported a 'theft' to the police as similar guys took a whitegood item from our garden (it was there to be collected). She confronted them as she drove up and asked if they had been speaking to me and they lied saying yes. She thought it was dodgy and took the number plate and reported in case of wider incidences in the area.

We currently haven't pursued with the police (they have offered) but drop me a PM if you want further info.