Nexus has joined forces with North Tyneside Council and Northumbria Police to launch a poster campaign to warn of the dangers and consequences of cable theft from Metro lines….
The campaign, which is being rolled out across Tyne and Wear, uses graphic images of a man with electric burns to hammer home the safety message – as well as underline that police are closing the net on cable thieves.
The key messages of the campaign are that live cables on the railways have the potential to kill or cause serious injuries and that police patrols have been stepped up, making it even more likely that offenders will be caught in the act.
The posters are being displayed at local Metro stations, prominent locations next to Metro tracks across North Tyneside and at local police stations and council offices.
The campaign is being launched days after a suspected cable thief was left fighting for his life with severe burns after an attempt to steal from an electricity sub-station in the Midlands.
Cable theft has become a growing problem for the Metro network. Nexus, which owns and manages the system, has spent over £300,000 carrying out repairs as a result of cable theft since the end of March this year.
The financial year has so far seen 20 incidents of metal theft on Nexus and Network Rail infrastructure, compared to 13 in the whole of 2010/11. The extent of train service delay and disruption has more than doubled as a result.
Director General of Nexus, Bernard Garner, said: “These posters send out some very powerful message to the thieves. We are speaking directly to people who may be thinking about putting their lives at risk to try and steal metal worth only a small amount to them.
“Not only is the net drawing in thanks to extra policing, but anyone who chooses to tamper with live cables risks death or horrific injuries.
“The increase in cable theft has brought significant disruption to the Metro system, particularly this year, and we are determined to work with all the relevant agencies to crackdown on the problem.”
Elected Mayor of North Tyneside, Mrs Linda Arkley said: “What thieves should realise is that when they take cables and other metal they are taking from their own communities as well as putting their own lives at risk.
“These thefts disrupt the lives of local people and mean that public money, which could be spent on important services, such as improving transport, is having to put right the damage they cause.”
Superintendent Peter Farrell, Northumbria Police, said: “A rise in the value of metal has seen an increase in metal thefts and like other forces Northumbria Police has seen an increase in the number of incidents, including on the Metro system and railways.
‚ÄúThieves should be warned going onto the Metro line and stealing electrical cable is highly dangerous and they’re putting their lives at risk by doing it.
“We’ve been working closely with partner agencies and other forces, carrying out multi-agency operations in order to disrupt criminal activity. This has included roadside checks on vehicles used to transport metal and regular visits to scrap metal dealers to help identify stolen metal and those responsible for selling it.
“We have also been carrying out increased high visibility patrols in the affected areas in order to reassure victims and prevent further offences. I would encourage the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.
‚ÄúPolice and partners will continue to tackle thieves at the locations they steal from, while they’re transporting the stolen metal and where they sell it on.
“We continue to work closely with Nexus, Network Rail and British Transport Police to combat metal being stolen from the metro system and railways.”
Meanwhile, Nexus is already working with railway industry partners, utility companies and the police to press for changes in the laws and regulations that cover the trade in scrap metal, so it is harder for thieves to sell stolen cables as scrap.
Nexus and the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority want to see a robust licensing regime for scrap dealers, rather than the present registration, with clear requirements upon the dealer to take steps to reduce the risk that stolen materials are purchased or received.
They also want to see greater powers for police and magistrates to close scrap metal dealers in line with alcohol licensing and give police authority to search and investigate all premises owned and operated by a scrap metal dealer.
Cashless payments and a requirement that scrap metal must be held for a certain period before being sold or processed in order to allow payments to be processed are also desired.
