Our taxes going down the drain... by Birmingham UK Com

High steel prices have led to an increase inprofiteering at the expense of safety and waste
manhole and drain cover theft across the UK. Inof tax payers contributions, we should take a look
fact, metals in general are high on the priority listat this problem on a global scale. We are not
for thieves with white vans and scrap metalalone. This is common practice in some countries.
establishments of ill repute. It is not unknown forSurprisingly it is very common and a big problem
large blue motorway signs to mysteriously vanishin China.
overnight.In Beijing, China's capital city, they are testing a
Large sewer grate covers and heavy drainnew kind of manhole cover to try and stop the
covers are lucrative money spinners for thoseprolific theft of manhole covers on pavements
prepared to take the risk. Sold for a fraction ofand roads around the city. Inventors in Beijing are
their replacement cost there is still a tidy profit tocurrently trying to make manhole covers of
be made in this trade. A quick check on googlenon-metal materials so that they are no longer a
reveals that the problem is not exclusive to thetemptation for theives. This is a huge problem in
West Midlands. Similar experience inChina where the covers are sold as scrap for a
Aberdeenshire, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire,few dollars but replacements cost over a hundred
Lincolnshire and Norfolk have been widelydollars each. Incredibly Beijing has more than
publicised.600,000 manhole covers and during 2004 the city
Councils are being urged to consider upgradinglost around 240,000 manhole and drain covers to
their security measures and to investigate thethieves.
possible replacement of some high risk coversOn a smaller scale but equally lucrative are British
with more secure and harder to removeRoad Signs. Go to Ebay and type in 'road sign' in
products. More modern covers offer recessedthe search facility. Hundreds of road signs are on
locks which are almost impossible to remove.offer, many of them are copies but look closely
Councils are united in their condemnation of thisand you could pick up a genuine and original
new trend of mindless and irresponsible theft.bargain such as the Trafford Road sign with
Their concerns, apart from the inconvenience andcurrent bidding at £30 and the reserve not
cost of replacement, are the fact that theseyet met. A closer look reveals traffic cones,
drains are left exposed and likely to be a seriousvillage signs and other icons of Britain that can be
safety hazard to pedestrians and motorists.found up and down the country and which are
Imagine a motorcycle travelling at speed andoften ignored by all but the dedicated ebay
hitting a hole in the road or a small child or elderlyentrepreneur who wanders around at night with
person falling into a hole in the ground.his screwdriver and crowbar finding items of
Before we condemn the UK criminal for thisworth to advertise on ebay.
thoughtless and inconsiderate act of selfish