By Safira Ali

Last updated 12:02, Friday, 12 September 2008

Police have arrested 40 people after scrap metal raids in west Cumbria.

• Video: watch the raid

Police Moss Bay Metals in Workington

Police targeted Workington’s Moss Bay Metals on Clay Flatts trading estate on Monday. Since then they have arrested a number of people in the Workington and Whitehaven area.

During the investigation, which also involved house raids, there have been 40 arrests for various offences including suspicion of theft, handling stolen goods, benefit fraud, abstracting electricity, possession of Class C drugs and the illegal use of red diesel.

Four of the people were from Whitehaven, two from Carlisle and the rest were from the Workington area.

Police said none of them have yet been charged with the offences.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Capstick said: “We are delighted with the progress we have made so far. It is still an on-going operation. There is still much more to do and come from it.

“We are looking at policing the problem with a multi-agency approach. This week was the first building blocks in the public forum.

“This is part of the on-going solution to the problem. We want to make the theft of metal an unattractive proposition.

“This is just the start of our visible operation. We are going to have a lot more police activity around scrap metal in the future.”

The operation, which included input from different agencies, is one of the first of its kind in west Cumbria dealing specifically with scrap metal.

Fifty officers were involved in the raid on Monday, including members of the British Transport Police, the Environment Agency, the Department of Work and Pensions, West Cumbria Police and a search team from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.

A spokesman for the Lancashire and Cumbria hidden economy fraud team for the Department for Work and Pensions, who was involved in the operation, said: “We were invited by Workington police to join Operation Kentwood some weeks ago. Our investigators have shared intelligence with the police. We identified people identified as dealing with scrap metal in Workington and disposing of it.

“We have reason to suspect that up to 14 people were involved in these activities while claiming social security benefits. As a result these people have been arrested in relation to suspected fraudulent claims and social security benefits. Enquiries are ongoing. About 40 arrests have been made since Monday. Most have been released on police bail pending enquiries.

“We are pleased with the results of the operation so far. We will continue to work with Workington police as the operation is ongoing.”

SAli@cngroup.co.uk