The first metal that was ever used by humans was copper – melted together with tin it created bronze, something which changed civilisation so much, a whole era was named after it – the bronze age. Weapons, tools and crockery were all made using this fantastic new material.
Nowadays, we are just as reliant on copper to aid our civilisation as our ancestors were – for electronics in particular it is particularly useful, as it is known to be a fantastic conductor of electricity. There are many other construction and plumbing uses for copper, and items like these Copper Pipe Fittings https://watkinspowis.co.uk/products/copper-pipe-fittings-and-press-systems/ are always in high demand.
Because demand is so high for copper, the supply is not always able to meet this, and of course this has meant that the value of copper has increased, particularly over the last couple of decades. This has led to a rise in copper thefts which as well as being dangerous, is also something that can cause huge inconvenience. Copper has been stolen from many places from train tracks to gas pipe fittings, something that has caused accidents and delays.
Around 2008, as the recession set in, this was a problem that really started to become bigger for the police, as people who lost jobs and struggled for money turned to crime to make it, and the high value of copper was a huge attraction to the opportunistic criminals.
