BRITISH Transport Police is using an unmanned mini-helicopter as part of its armoury in the battle against cable theft from the railways.

Called the Microdrone, it beams back live video footage and infrared imagery to operators on the ground, and was used in a special operation in Stockingford, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, on Wednesday 5 March.

The operation targeted known cable theft hotspot areas and local scrap metal dealers, and used automatic numberplate recognition.

BTP officers involved in Operation Drum – the task force specifically set up to tackle the theft of cable on the railways – worked with officers from Warwickshire Police and partner agencies such as HM Revenue and Customs and the Vehicle Operator Services Agency.

As part of the operation, officers made use of the Microdrone, an unmanned, almost silent helicopter that can film from more than 350ft and is invisible to the naked eye.   The remote-controlled helicopter – the size of a dustbin lid – can even squirt offenders with security marking solution called SmartWater to allow police identification.  

PC Roy McMichael, who co-ordinated the operation, said: “The Microdrone is an excellent piece of technology which is assisting BTP in our ongoing fight against cable thieves. Metal theft is a serious crime and has a negative impact upon the public and communities in which we live.

“It is certainly not a victimless crime.”

Metal thieves in Britain are participating in an international crime wave involving metal objects ranging from cable to doorknobs, manhole covers to bus shelters. In the last 18 months police forces across Britain have experienced a significant increase in metal theft as the world price of metals, in particular copper, has soared.

BTP recorded 1,928 metal theft offences and arrested 396 people in 2007 compared with 1,142 offences and 317 arrests in 2006. 

British Transport Police has taken the lead in tackling the crime and is liaising with the Serious Organised Crime Agency and Railpol, the European Railway Policing Forum. BTP is also working with the British Metal Re-cycling Association to crack down on rogue dealers.
Operation Drum is designed to detect, deter and disrupt criminal activity and give the strong message to thieves and those who handle stolen metals that they are firmly on the police radar. 
 
Cable theft emerged as an issue in late 2005 and by early 2006 was increasing rapidly.
BTP, with Net-work Rail, set up Operation Drum to create a strategic overview of the problem and combat thefts. 
 
In September 2006, the North Eastern Area set up BTP’s first dedicated cable squad, targeting hotspot locations. A separate national cable squad, with its own intelligence cell, task force and investigation team, followed a year later.

In January BTP led a national day of action to target metal thieves, with some 20 police forces and other government agencies and organisations taking part. On the day, BTP visited 65 scrap metal yards and arrested 11 people.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Smith said the day of action demonstrated that BTP is willing to devote considerable resources to target the crime.  “On the rail
system, theft of cable is a particular problem and is extremely dangerous to those involved. It can also cause hours of delay to the thousands of passengers who rely on the rail network. Those who steal cable are not just risking a prison sentence, they are risking their lives.”  

Network Rail Midlands route director Peter Strachan said: “Sadly, the theft of cable from the railways remains a pressing issue for us. Anything which can help us to catch the thieves, who are putting their own lives in danger and causing millions of pounds worth of disruption to the economy, is to be welcomed.”