Reward offered as cable thieves risk lives across rural regions

A CRIME charity and a communications firm yesterday confirmed they had joined forces to clamp down on the continuing problem of cable theft in South Yorkshire, after more than 60 incidents were reported in just three months.

Cable thieves have mainly struck in rural communities around Doncaster, and BT Openreach, which maintains telephone and internet networks, said the borough was now the British “hotspot” for such crime.

The company has put up a £2,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction saying recent thefts left the industry hundreds of thousands of pounds out of pocket and struggling to make repairs.

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Doctors’ surgeries and other services have warned that cable thefts could be putting lives at risk because people are unable to call for help when their telephones and other communications are affected.

It is likely that the costs borne by companies like Openreach will eventually pass to the customer through telephone or broadband bills, meaning those who have lost contact for considerable periods will also see their bills go up.

Openreach is administering the award through national crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers and its regional manager Dave Hunter said cable theft was a crime that could affect any street and many services.

Copper cables, which have significantly increased in scrap value in recent years, are now not just used for telephone lines, but also broadband and television services with one theft affecting hundreds of people.

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Mr Hunter said: “Cable theft not only causes inconvenience to the local community, but it is also dangerous as it can impact the 999 network, phone-based telecare systems and isolate vulnerable individuals with no other means of communication.

“We hope that by working with Openreach we can stamp out this recent spate of attacks, and urge local people to come forward with information about any offences they may know about or suspect. Remember, this theft inconveniences you too as you may be left without your TV or broadband for days at a time.”

Last month, South Yorkshire Police announced it would also crack down on the problem of cable theft and warned of the dangers.

Chief Inspector Ian Bint, leading the operation said some thieves were using vehicles to pull cables out of the ground and added: “Obviously this kind of behaviour is very dangerous.

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“BT employees would not drive with cable towing behind them and I want to urge the public to be vigilant to this kind of behaviour.

“Cable theft is not just a problem in Doncaster – it is a national issue and people who commit these offences do not realise the disruption it causes to services.

“The thieves are putting themselves and the public at risk, and we will do everything we can to catch those responsible and put a stop to this issue.”

Bernie Auguste, head of security for Openreach said: “We are working very hard to prevent attacks in the Doncaster area and to get those impacted connected again as soon as possible.

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“By working closely with the police, installing extra protection and increasing vigilance in the area we are reducing the number of successful attacks.

“However, we really need the public’s help in identifying the perpetrators of this crime.

“We are asking for people to be particularly vigilant for unmarked vehicles and individuals that appear to be working on or near man hole covers or telephone poles, particularly at irregular hours.

“By working together we can send a clear message to thieves that theft will not be tolerated.”

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Anyone with information about people committing cable theft, should contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

The charity said it would guarantee that those making a report would not have to give any personal details and would not be asked to stand up in court.