Blackout as thieves steal mile of cables

Northern Powergrid is appealing to the public for help following two serious incidents in two days near Doncaster.

In one, thieves cut through live 66,000 volt conductors and attempted to steal nearly a mile of power cables from an overhead supply line in Rossington.

They then part cut through steel support masts, causing 17 to collapse over a stretch of nearly four miles. The incident on Saturday night left 950 households without power until early on Sunday.

The electrical distributor is now facing a repair bill of more than £200,000.

The work will take a number of weeks to complete due to the scale of the damage.

Northern Powergrid head of repairs Mick Hickling said: “The theft was an utterly foolhardy act that put at risk the lives of not only the thieves but also the general public.

“It also brought disruption to the community and will take weeks to repair fully. Metal theft is a mindless crime that can have dire consequences.

Northern Powergrid is working closely with the police to combat the crime and to raise awareness.”

In a second incident on Monday, thieves attempted to steal power cables in the Tickhill areas which fell onto roads which had to be closed by police. Some 12,000 customers lost power supplies for five minutes.

Anyone with information is asked to call South Yorkshire Police on 101.