Scrap theft suspect survives 66,000 volts

The 21-year-old, from Malton, was transferred to the specialist burns unit at Wakefield after the incident at the station in Wansford Road, Driffield.

Police say he suffered 45 per cent "superficial" burns.

More than 10,000 properties in the Driffield area were plunged into darkness on Wednesday night as a result of the incident, causing damage which will take weeks to repair and cost thousands of pounds.

It is the second such incident in a week to have left someone in hospital. On Tuesday, a 25-year-old man was admitted to hospital in Leeds with serious burns to his face, hands and chest after sawing through an 11,000 volt cable.

The rising number of metal thefts appears to be being driven by the Asian construction and manufacturing boom pushing up the price of raw materials.

Paul Norton, of power company CE Electric UK, which owns and operates electricity distribution networks in Yorkshire and the North East, said: "The suspected thief is lucky to be in a hospital and not a morgue. In the past, our staff have turned up at site to investigate power cuts to find charred bodies on site.

"Most thieves are lured by the prospect of making a quick trade, but by breaking in, they are not only exposing themselves to the risk of electrocution, they are also leaving these extremely dangerous sites open for children to wander into, with potentially fatal consequences."

Detective Inspector Tony Cockerill, from Humberside Police, urged scrap dealers to tell police if people try to sell them copper wire.

The incident follows the jailing last week of prolific cable thief Stephen White, from Leeds, who caused massive disruption to travellers and cost Network Rail more than 700,000 in damage, compensation and penalty payments.