Do you know you could be putting lives at risk? That’s the message from British Transport Police to cable thieves in Leeds after vital parts of the overhead line equipment was stolen from the railway line in Beeston.
The stolen bonds are a part of the safety equipment of the overhead electrification system. Routine inspections by Network Rail discovered the loss near the Ardsley Tunnel Bridge in Beeston, which runs parallel to the White Rose shopping centre on Sunday, July 3 and all trains had to be stopped until the equipment was replaced.<br><br>Because of the location, services on the East Coast Main Line and local routes were affected. In all 42 trains were affected, 10 were fully cancelled and 2 partially cancelled. Passengers heading north had to be detrained at Doncaster and alternative forms of transport arranged due to the theft. The total costs to the rail industry has been estimated at over £23,000.<br><br>Detective Sergeant Granville Sellers said: “Selfish and reckless thieves stole this equipment, which acts as a safety mechanism to the railway. The bonds themselves are actually relatively worthless so whoever has done this is really is not going to make much money. However what they have done could have put people in danger and caused huge delays & inconvenience to the traveling public.<br><br>"The majority of cable thieves see this as a low risk way of making some quick money. They steal the cable and sell it on to a metal recycler (scrap metal dealer) for a relatively low amount – all with the notion that what they are doing doesn’t really affect anyone. They couldn’t be more wrong.<br><br>"Far from being a victimless crime, cable theft is an attack on every person who uses the rail network and every business and organisation which relies on the railway to move its goods or staff about the country – as well as the train operators themselves."<br><br>BTP have stepped up patrols in the area in a bid to deter thieves from further activity. Officers will also be undertaking local enquiries and visiting local scrap metal dealers, where thieves often attempt to sell on the stolen metal.<br><br>DS Sellers added: "We will use every tactic at our disposal to deter offenders where possible and detect them when necessary.<br><br>"The police and the wider criminal justice system are well aware of the impact cable theft has on communities and the country as a whole and thieves found guilty of cable offences can expect to face severe penalties – including lengthy prison sentences.”<br><br>Richard Lungmuss, route director for Network Rail, said: “Thieves are targeting our essential rail services on a daily basis. Our people carry out regular inspections to check that the network is safe for passengers. However, just one act like this causes misery to many hundreds of people and unacceptable delay to vital freight services as well as costing the railway and the wider economy thousands of pounds.<br><br>“We will continue to support British Transport Police in order to find those responsible and bring them to justice. I would ask anyone with information about the thieves to contact police or Crimestoppers and help us to keep your railway running.”<br><br>Network Rail and the confidential crime-reporting charity Crimestoppers are offering a reward of up to £1000 for information leading to the prosecution of cable thieves. They can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Earlier, detectives from British Transport Police (BTP) dedicated cable team, Operation Leopard, released footage of suspected cable thieves caught on covert cameras in West Yorkshire.
Film footage released by police from a covert camera in the Leeds area, shows two men stealing 5 metres of cable from under a bridge.
A number of covert cameras have been placed in hotspot locations on the railway lines throughout West Yorkshire by Police and Network Rail in a bid to combat the increasing problem of cable theft.
Detective Sergeant Granville Sellers from BTP’s Operation Leopard said: “Technological and forensic advances are making life more and more difficult for cable thieves and are increasing the opportunities for BTP to detect criminals.”
“Gaining access to the line is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Anyone who trespasses onto the railway is taking a gamble with their own lives, as well as the lives of all the staff and passengers travelling on the trains.
DS Sellers added: “The theft of cable has a direct impact on the everyday lives of the travelling public; it really is an attack on the community. The act of stealing cable is also an extremely dangerous crime which is costly to the rail industry and to the thousands of passengers who rely on the rail network.
