Nov 2011: You cannot have failed to read in the papers or seen reports on the television that there has been a staggering increase in the number of metal thefts in the last year. I would encourage everyone to sign an online e-petition, which would cause a parliamentary debate on the subject of moving towards a cashless business model for scrap metal dealers. You can sign the petition here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/406. Many of these crimes would stop overnight if there was no ready market for their ill-gotten gains. Ninety per cent of transactions in scrap metal yards are by cash. Record-keeping is non-existant and no questions are asked. Existing legislation is very weak and goes back to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act of 1964. Maximum fines are very low. A cashless model would be another step on the route to effective legislation.