‘Think again’ plea to cable thieves as public exposed to deadly threat

Police in Kirklees say they have seen a worrying and dangerous trend emerge as thieves steal copper cabling from electricity sub-stations and even live wiring from roadside electricity masts.

Sometime around July 22 approximately £20,000 of live cable was stolen from the roadsides of Paul Lane and Common Lane in Emley, near to Emley Moor mast on the outskirts of Huddersfield. Thieves ripped out the live wire, stole the copper cabling from it and left live wires fully exposed.

Det Insp Mark Truelove said: “These idiotic criminals are also putting the lives of the public and the police at risk, as exposed live wires could obviously kill anyone who comes into contact with them.”

Over the weekend thieves also stole copper cabling from a sub-station in the Spen Valley area. This theft caused a power surge in the local area that caused a power cut affecting hundreds of people and caused many electrical appliances in people’s homes to catch fire or smoke.

A nursing home in Church Lane in Liversedge was particularly badly affected in this way and residents had to be evacuated while West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service made the building safe. Nobody was injured and a man has been charged in connection with the incident.

Police are keen to trace suspects for the Emley incident. Police believe a red and white Transit van could be linked, but they have also received information that a silver Ford Fiesta was also seen in the area at the time. Contact police on 0845 6060606.