Three men have been arrested on suspicion of metal theft after police launched a major crackdown to target prolific thieves.
A 23-year-old man and a 25-year-old man from Clayton-le-Moors and a 53-year-old man from Rishton were all arrested on suspicion of stealing scrap metal from gardens in the Wordsworth Road area of Accrington.
A yellow Ford Transit van has been seized as part of the investigation.
Police in Hyndburn launched Operation Thistle to tackle the issue of metal theft.
Officers have sent letters to 32 of the borough’s most prolific scrap metal thieves to warn them their behaviour is being monitored.
The crackdown will run throughout February and March and will see police officers visiting scrap metal dealers and collectors across the borough.
Sergeant Simon Holderness said: "Over the past two years, we have driven down domestic burglaries and car crime in Hyndburn. However, it appears that some criminals are now turning to theft of copper, lead and scrap metal, as we are seeing an increase in this type of offence.
"We often receive reports about seemingly legitimate metal collectors who are making off with metal from private yards and I appeal to the public to keep their yards clear of items that would attract thieves. I also urge people to be vigilant and to report any activity like this to us, as it is happening.
"During this operation we will be working hard to ensure that Hyndburn is a place where legitimate operators can thrive, but also to ensure the borough is the last place that illegitimate metal collectors would want to operate.
"We will be looking very closely at licensing issues and we will also be scrutinising vehicles to ensure that operators are working within the law. We are working very closely with scrap metal dealers to protect them and to ensure that there is no outlet in the borough for stolen metal."
