Copper-wire crooks pylon the misery

COPPER thieves have struck yet again — this time by scaling pylons to hack down thousands of pounds worth of wire.

Police have issued a warning after the culprits struck business premises on Moston Road, Chadderton.

The owner noticed a power line had collapsed on to his roof when he arrived for work.

Inquiries by police established that thieves had climbed up an electricity pylon at the junction of Grimshaw Lane and Kirkway in Middleton and had cut the wire.

The thieves did this at two further pylons, stealing two 400-yard lengths of copper cable, which could be worth thousands of pounds.

The wire is believed to have been dragged through the Greengate Industrial Estate by the culprits in the early hours of Saturday.

The incident comes after the Chronicle reported that the Crown Business Centre, Failsworth, had been hit five times by copper thieves this year, frequently leaving their telephone lines down.

Meanwhile, yesterday, officers were called to Baguley Crescent in Middleton after the National Grid discovered another piece of copper cabling running between two pylons had been cut down.

As a result, a block of flats had to be evacuated while the National Grid made the area safe.

The cut piece of cable fell into a field but could have fallen on to a housing estate, which could have put people’s lives at risk.

Police are now appealing to anyone who has information to come forward and also warning them of the dangers they face when committing this type of crime.

Chief Inspector Mark Bell said: “These thieves are risking not just their own lives but the lives of others just to get their hands on their copper cabling.

“We have already seen an incident in Greater Manchester where someone suffered serious electric shock after trying to steal electrical wire — and we found scorch marks at one of these pylons, so it is possible these thieves also injured themselves.

“These people are scaling very tall pylons and cutting the earth wire.

“However, if that cable touches one of the live power wires when it falls that cable will also become charged so if it hits someone we could be dealing with a very serious incident, not to mention the risk these thieves are running of injuring themselves.

“I also want to stress how massively disruptive this sort of crime can be. When people steal cabling, particularly rail, power and communications, it can deprive thousands of people of transport links and vital utilities.”

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 and lobbying for tougher sentences for metal thieves.

Anyone with information should call police on 0161-872 5050 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.