Man burned in electricity sub-station break-in

A safety warning was issued after the incident at Thurcroft, where the 21-year-old suffered serious burns to his head, chest and arms while trespassing in the compound on Green Lane.

It is believed he was exposed to a current as high as 66,000 volts after coming into contact with wiring.

He was taken to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield where his condition was last night described as "serious but stable".

Officer were called to the site on Saturday evening and found entry had been forced and metal piping removed.

Electricity flowing through the structures on such sites can be powerful enough to cause shocks even without direct contact.

Peter McCormick, director of health and safety at CE Electric UK, the company that owns the electricity distribution network in Yorkshire, said: "The perpetrator is extremely lucky to be alive.

"To the untrained and uninitiated, sub-stations are potentially fatal and in the past our staff have discovered charred bodies in substations after similar incidents.

"This isn't just a massive inconvenience for everyone left scrabbling around in the dark, but for some people – like those who rely on medical equipment – a power cut can have serious consequences.

"What's more, those responsible invariably leave these extremely dangerous sites wide open and insecure for passing children to wander into.

"It's bad enough that this individual has put his own life on the line, but the total lack of concern for the safety of others is unforgivable," he said.

Sub-station break-ins can leave as many as 30,000 properties without electricity, he explained.