Thousands of road signs are being stolen by gangs who dress up as road contractors and sell the metal to scrapyards.

An abrupt rise in the value of aluminium has prompted the rapid disappearance of signposts across Britain, causing, in some cases, chaos on roads.

In March the price of the metal rocketed to a ten-year high of $2,016 (£1,068) a tonne. A 20kg sign will fetch about £14.

Although thieves prefer the chevrons that indicate sharp bends on roads — their size makes them more valuable — police are also concerned about the systematic destruction of motorway monitoring systems, which are encased in aluminium cupboards.

Although the Highways Agency denied the problem had spread nationwide, police want an investigation into the scale of the crimewave. They suspect that gangs of thieves are scouring the country for aluminium signs… Read full story