If we catch them can we shoot them?

[badass]

I personally think these peope, would be ideal in a warzone. They can find the landmines.

However I don't believe it will be that hard to reduce all of this metal theft to an insignificant level.
I have seen no evidence that there is any organised crime involved here. It's just pikey scum and thicko chavs doing this. I beleive this is one of those rare cases where legislation is needed however all that is required is for it to be made suitable difficult for the thicko scum to be able to sell the stolen metal and it will stop.
As said aby a poster above, all scrap material bought needs to be forced to be paid for by bank transfer or similar means that requires a bank account. Even if teh scum manage to open an account, sell and empty it, once it is confirmed the person attached to that account sold stolen metal, the account can be frozen.
I'd imagine opening bank accounts with false details isn't that easy.

[MaddAussie]

Landmine clearance is a excellent suggestion.

[scaryjim]

Tell them there's £50 worth of scrap metal in a landmine and they'll probably beg to go and dig for some...

[Tumble]

No, of course it. It's a totally inappropriate response to the offence and utterly unjustified.

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Why let the little bleeps off so lightly?

I'd advocate a more appropriate response to such incidents as being based on the activities of Tomás de Torquemada. I gather he and his people could be quite ..... inventive.

I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition!!!

[Bunjiweb]

I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition!!!

No one ever does!

[Saracen]

No one ever does!

Drat, darn and dammit. You beat me to a (admittedly rather poor) Michael Palin impression with "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

[Larkspeed]

I put a lot of this down to a shockingly lacking justice system in the UK

When I lived there I had occasion to ring the police about 6 different times.

Most of the time I was in formed that "it's a civil matter" and they refused to do anything at all. (seems to be cop talk for can't be bothered to sort it out)

Once I called to report the theft of over 300 quids worth of fishing gear stolen from a car I had taken my eye off for no more than 2 minutes, I was reporting the theft within 5 minutes of it taking place and the very unhelpful person on the phone told me to call back the next day to give a description of everything that was taken rather than get a couple of cars in the area and spot the guy walking around with a 6 foot long red rod bag strung over his shoulder and a huge tackle box in his hand.

IMO the police are laughable at best and totally uninterested in actually solving crime and when they do actually catch someone the sentences the courts hand out are nothing short of a joke.

[watercooled]

I agree, for instance you might get a large operation to catch someone involving tens of officers, several cars and a chopper costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds, then the crook is given a suspended sentence or a 50 quid fine. The fine should at least cover the cost of catching the %*(&£%. Just a joke really.

[BobF64]

Tbh, we could learn a lot from those countries that do the sensible thing and chop off thieves hands.

Whilst the ECHR provides for protection from "cruel and unusual punishments", Im sure someone could argue that chopping off a hand isnt cruel and if its the standard punishment its not unusual either.

[Zak33]

I'm currently unable to properly reply to this post......

i can't quite deal with the mammoth hormonal attack I've just had reading that article...gimme a min pls

[Zak33]

dregs

the dregs of humanity... lower than the lowest.

If I was starving, with no money for food for my child... no money for clothes... cold wet and scared.. I'd steal a car, a lamp post, a letter box...... virtually anything, as a last last resort.

it would make someone immensely sad, and I'd regret it eternally...

but I simply could not take a war grave, memorial plate or bronze plaque.

i'm uncertain that my ability to hold back rampant tourettes is strong enough.. I'm going away now.

[watercooled]

I would be very surprised if the people doing this are in such a situation though - probably either common thieves out for a few quid and/or looking for money to selfishly fund their drug addiction.

[Splash]

Tbh, we could learn a lot from those countries that do the sensible thing and chop off thieves hands.

Whilst the ECHR provides for protection from "cruel and unusual punishments", Im sure someone could argue that chopping off a hand isnt cruel and if its the standard punishment its not unusual either.

Because that's what the war dead gave their lives for, right?

It's deplorable, it really is. Can we please steer clear of the Daily Mail histrionics though?

[watercooled]

I agree, but I'm not sure most of the solutions posted here are serious suggestions - after all, JDAMs are known as smart bombs!

Seriously though, some of the punishments in this country are a complete joke, there really needs to be some sort of deterrent as these people clearly don't fear the law.

[BobF64]

I agree, but I'm not sure most of the solutions posted here are serious suggestions - after all, JDAMs are known as smart bombs!

Seriously though, some of the punishments in this country are a complete joke, there really needs to be some sort of deterrent as these people clearly don't fear the law.

Exactly, without fearing the law, people will continue to do things and get away with it.

There should be an incentive to not commit crime again, and you can see why some countries opt for very extreme punishments for things.