UK broadband provider Openreach has paired with circular materials expert EMR and independent charity Crimestoppers to step up the battle against the theft of metal in the country.

The issue of copper theft, in particular, has been a thorn in the side of network providers such as Openreach for years, with multiple incidents reported.

Openreach and EMR have urged the public to help combat metal theft by reporting suspicious activity anonymously to Crimestoppers.

A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Metal, Stone and Heritage Crime found that metal theft has cost the UK public more than £4.3bn over the past decade.

It comes as copper prices are at an all‑time high – and forecast to rise further in 2026. Despite Openreach pushing ahead with its fiber rollout across the UK, currently passing 23 million premises, attacks against its legacy copper network have slowed down progress, noted the company.

Since April 2024, Openreach has reported that more than 100,000 people in the UK have lost the use of their landline and/or broadband due to copper theft, with 153km of cable stolen in that time.

During this time period, Openreach estimates that it has spent 1.2 million working hours to repair theft-related damage.

Openreach cited three notable outages this year caused by cable theft, including in Moulton Chapel, Lincolnshire, where 2,500 premises were hit.

“It’s really disappointing that communities across the UK are paying the price for this criminal behavior. Cable theft causes serious damage, unacceptable disruption to communities, and can put vulnerable people at risk," said Andy Shepherd, director of resilience and integrity at Openreach.

“We’re working closely with partners and using proactive security measures to reduce the impact of this criminal activity, but we also need the public’s help. If you see anything suspicious, please call 101 or contact Crimestoppers completely anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Bruce Miller, commercial director at EMR, added: “As one of the UK’s largest metal recyclers, we work closely with law enforcement and partners including Openreach and Crimestoppers to prevent stolen material entering the supply chain. By working together, we can help protect critical infrastructure, support local communities, and ensure valuable resources are recycled responsibly.”

Openreach is seeing some success in its battle against theft, noting that since April 2025, its specialist security team has made 90 arrests.

The company has stepped up its collaboration with the police, and ensured that rapid response security measures and network alarms have been rolled out to deter criminals.

On top of this, the company also continues to implement forensic marking technology SelectaDNA. SelectaDNA is a synthetic DNA and UV tracer that is sprayed directly onto cables and associated equipment.