It’s a sign of the times! Thieves are targeting road signs following a rise in the prices paid for scrap steel and aluminium. And county councils have been forced to take drastic measures – swapping high-value aluminium signs for reinforced polyester alternatives.
Essex County Council has already installed 2,500 of them. “The signs are replaced when necessary – we’re not ripping out good ones,” explained the authority’s spokesman, adding: “Given the price of scrap metal, this is a cost issue and a value-for-money measure.” He said the low-value plastic replacements have added road safety benefits, too, as they do not degrade. Eventually, all 70,000 signs in the county will be replaced.
The initiative is attracting interest from other local authorities keen to halt the theft of signage, according to Essex Council. But its spokesman refused to name them, arguing it could make them targets for scrap metal thieves.
In another measure to foil would-be scrap robbers, Essex Council has fitted hinges to its manhole covers, making them more difficult than ever to extract. As the covers cost around £300 each, the move is expected to save the authority thousands of pounds a year.
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