With a value of more than $8,000 a tonne, copper has been stolen in wire, pipe and cable form from businesses in Scone leaving business owners and builders reconsidering how they store and secure the valuable item before use.

Thefts have been taking place as recently as the weekend when thieves attempted to steal copper wire and piping from the renovation site of the old post office.

Sergeant Sutton from Scone Police said the offenders entered an unlocked, but closed shed at the back to the post office and stole about $200 worth of electrical wiring.

Sgt Sutton also said the offenders attempted to remove a quantity of copper piping but left it at the site.

Warren Turner who owns an electrical business at the industrial area in town has been the victim of copper theft on more than one occasion.

But Mr Turner said he does not stockpile the valuable wire.

“We only get it in for jobs, it is not worth storing,” he said.

He said he had a large amount stolen at one stage that had been organised for a specific job. And on Tuesday, July 1 thieves again broke into his premises and stole a quantity of aluminum wire of low value.

Mr Turner said he believed the offenders thought they were getting copper, but he said the scrap value of the aluminium would be only about $10.

“Value wise it would have been nothing,” he said.

Another local businessman, Michael Mount has also been the victim of copper wire theft, but after taking precautions he has been free of the problem for several months.

“We had quite a bit of stuff stolen from our place,” Mr Mount said.

“But I believe they actually got those guys,” he said.

Having been broken into three times he said the company was now more cautious about where the scrap metal is placed.

“We used to leave our old stuff outside in bins, but we don’t now,” Mr Mount said.

“It’s not worth the damage”.

Because the copper has been moved from the site, Mr Mount said he has not been affected by the latest incidents.

In early June the electricity depot at Merriwa was broken into and 450 kilograms of copper wire was stolen along with two pallets of copper cable weighing two tonnes.

Acting Inspector Prentice from the Hunter Area Command said investigations were ongoing into copper thefts around the region, including the Merriwa theft.

“It is a crime that is fairly wide spread through this policing command and other commands in Newcastle and surrounding areas,” Acting Insp Prentice said .

Anyone who has any information about a copper theft can confidentially call the Scone Police on 6544 0199 or call crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.