Graham Allen, Labour MP for Nottingham North, called on the government to carefully consider marking cabling and lead, often stolen from railway lines and churches.This would make the metal worthless and forensic markings would enable police to trace scrap metal thieves. It would also help regulate the market and make it fairer for people looking for precious metal reclaim.Companies like Network Rail were already using hidden ink, he said, but urged that the scientific technology should be used more widely.Driven by massive rises in new and scrap metal prices, metal theft is now a severe problem and it is growing ever larger.Earlier this year, British Transport Police said metal theft was one of its top priorities, second only to the threat of terrorism.Theft of metal such as brass copper and lead, driven by rising metal prices in Asia, is fuelling significant demand.Mr Allen was quoted as saying by the Press association during a Commons adjournment debate: “Reliable forensic marking can make metal worthless to steal, make trading stolen metal a high-risk activity and can play a key role in ensuring prosecution of criminals.”If the trade does not seize this opportunity for sensible reform I, and I’ve no doubt many other colleagues, will seek to require scrap metal dealers to scan all materials arriving at their premises, but for now any legislation should allow local authorities or others to use the techniques that they feel necessary.”Mr Allen also called on the government to replace the current registration scheme and include itinerant collectors and vehicle salvagers in bans on cash payments.James Brokenshire, the Home Office minister for crime and security, said the government took its responsibility to tackle metal theft seriously.The government had taken initial legislative action through the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, including measures to prohibit cash payments for scrap metal, amend police powers of entry into unregistered scrap metal sites and increase the existing financial penalties for offenders under the current Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964, he said.