Worksop cable thieves warned by British Transport Police

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British Transport Police (BTP) officers are on the lookout for thieves in the Worksop area after a recent spate of incidents.

Now, in a bid to nip the problem in the bud, BTP is warning prospective criminals to steer clear of the railway – or face the consequences.

BTP Sergeant Alan Davidson said: “Cable thieves have been operating near to Whitwell and Creswell station in Worksop during the past few months and we want to send a clear message that targeting the railway to steal cable will not be tolerated.”

Cable theft has a massive impact on the railway as, when thieves cut through vital cabling, power can be lost to various parts of the infrastructure, which often results in lengthy delays and even cancellations whilst the damage is located and repaired.

Sgt Davidson added: “Cable theft is one of the highest priorities for BTP and we are working closely with Network Rail, other police forces and even the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) to tackle the issue.

“We are increasing the number of officers who will be out and about across the area in the coming weeks and months to deter criminals from targeting the railway and also to catch those in the act of stealing or damaging cable.

“The majority of thefts have been taking place between 12.30am and 1am, and we believe, due to the characteristics of the thefts, that the same people may be responsible. Whitwell and Creswell are small communities, and we are asking anyone with any information to contact police.

“We will also be visiting scrap yards throughout Worksop to look for any cable or other metal that may have been stolen from the railway or elsewhere.”

The vast majority of cable thieves look to sell on the stolen goods to local scrap dealers, claiming they have legitimately acquired the metal.

BTP has been working hard to build links within the scrap metal industry and to educate dealers about what to look out for when people bring cable and other metal into their yards.

Sgt Davidson said: “We will continue to work with the scrap metal recycling industry to restrict opportunities for thieves to sell on their stolen goods and to make life more difficult for those few scrap dealers who continue to trade in stolen metal.

“We have a number of forensic techniques at our disposal to determine whether metal has been stolen or not – ranging from visual identification of railway property to DNA marking which clearly identifies property as having come from a set location.

“We will utilise all these techniques to brig cable thieves to justice and to restrict the trade in stolen metal.”

If you have information about this or any form of cable or metal theft please ring British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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