Copper thieves crippling business

BUSINESSES are counting the cost yet again after copper thieves struck for a fifth time this year, leaving their telephone lines down.

Each theft leaves 17 companies on the Crown Business Centre, Failsworth, cut off — the longest for 17 days.

And firms on the site say it is costing them thousands of pounds in lost business.

“If a customer rings and can’t get through they just ring someone else,” said Geoff Kerfoot, who owns CST Automatic.

The latest theft, of 120 yards of cable, was discovered on Sunday morning, just days after the last stolen batch were replaced.

Phone lines are now back on, but a frustrated Mr Kerfoot added: “BT responds as fast as it possibly can, but it just keeps happening and I really don’t know what the solution is.”

He said the constant threat of his business telephones being out of order had made him consider moving, but the cost and upheaval from relocating was enormous.

He called on Oldham Council to fix a CCTV camera on the site — a small cost, he said, compared with the loss of business rates if the problem chased companies away.

Mr Kerfoot said: “We have taken measures to have our landline calls transferred to a mobile and we have mobile dongles as a back-up for broadband, but we can only take one call at a time and our credit card facilities don’t work.

“We can just about function, but there are some businesses on here who just shut-up shop and send staff home when the lines are down because there is nothing for them to do.

“The annoying thing is that the thieves will perhaps get £20 for the amount of copper they get from the wires, yet it cripples masses of businesses in the area. It’s horrendous.”

John Yarwood, who runs Data Designs/IMAAC Ltd from the business centre, added: “It’s diabolical. We just don’t know how much business we are losing.”

Copper is just one strand of a massive problem of metal theft across the region. Manhole covers, lead from roofs, including Mossley Fire Station and the Lions’ Den in Alexandra Park, have also been targeted.

Now Greater Manchester Police has teamed up with British Transport Police, United Utilities, British Telecom and Network Rail to fight the problem. They are calling for regulations for scrap dealers to be tightened so thieves have nowhere to sell their ill-gotten gains, as well as lobbying for tougher sentences for metal thieves.

Anyone who can identify metal thieves should contact police on 0161-872 5050 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.