Councillor Stanley King is second to none when it comes to knowledge of and commitment to public transport in West Yorkshire.

That is why the Bradford councillor and former Lord Mayor has been such a worthy chairman of Metro, the operating arm of the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority - a post from which he steps down today. And it is also why the Crown Prosecution Service should take very seriously his appeal for tougher penalties for people who steal copper cable from the railways.

This crime, which is growing in response to a rise in the price of copper, is not a trivial one. As Coun King points out, as soon as someone cuts a cable all the signals go to red, trains stop, and delays begin. This is something West Yorkshire rail passengers can well do without as they travel on services which are struggling to keep up with growing rush-hour demand. They have enough to contend with without their journey being brought to a halt while thieves cart off their haul of cable to a sympathetic scrapyard.

Apart from anything else, stealing the cable is not a risk-free operation. Coun King warns that they carry plenty of electricity. So those interfering with them could be putting themselves at risk.

Stiffer penalties might help to keep the problem in check, if combined with a greater willingness on the part of the public to report suspicious behaviour on the railways and a greater reluctance on the part of those who are offered the cable for sale to become involved.