A police raid of a scrap yard in Croydon uncovered one of the largest ever hauls of stolen metal.

Detective inspector Brian Hobbs, of Croydon police, called the find “a significant haul”.

He said he believed the raid, on Monday, May 14, which was part of the national operation, may have been successful in “disrupting and targeting those people involved in the theft of metal”.

The team recovered a bronze statue of Christ and a large bronze dragon, approximately 3ft high, which had been reported stolen by its owners on April 18.

The dragon was worth in the region of £3,500 and was part of a pair used as ornaments in the garden of an elderly couple from Teddington.

More than 60 complete memorial plaques in their complete form were discovered by Croydon police, after a warrant was executed to search the scrap metal yard.

It is not known how many plaques were recovered in total, however, as many had been broken into pieces.

Some of the plaques are believed to have been stolen from Beckenham cemetery.

Items from the hoard may also be traced to a crematorium in Sevenoaks, which reported thefts of metal from its grounds.

Some items had been marked with SmartWater, a liquid which becomes visible under ultraviolet light, which may make their origins easier to trace.

Detective Inspector Hobbs said: “The metal is very valuable, there is brass and bronze plus engraving costs. However, the real cost here is the emotional cost to the friends and family who bought the memorial plaques.

“I would urge anyone who has any information or has been in contact with people who they suspect may be selling stolen metal to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Two men, aged 69 and 28, arrested on suspicion of possessing unlawfully gained metal, have now been charged with receiving and converting stolen goods.

The owner of the Croydon scrap metal yard where the loot was seized has been charged and remanded in custody, along with an employee who was discovered in the process of breaking up bronze plaques during the police raid.

It is thought the purpose of smashing the stolen plaques was in order for them to be melted down and re-used.

A third man was arrested but has not been charged.

The pair will appear in Croydon Magistrates court on May 18.