Cable / copper / metal theft - ongoing problems on the railways and elsewhere

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

This is an acute problem in Kent; there are some of the very remotely located traction substations that have been hit 15 times this year alone, as soon as the repair made the following night its stolen.  Fencing is not a deterrent to these individuals they either ram raid the gates or use a grinder to cut through the fencing.  We are even get thieves cutting live 33,000 volt cables!!!!!!!!!

[smokey]

This is an acute problem in Kent; there are some of the very remotely located traction substations that have been hit 15 times this year alone, as soon as the repair made the following night its stolen.  Fencing is not a deterrent to these individuals they either ram raid the gates or use a grinder to cut through the fencing.  We are even get thieves cutting live 33,000 volt cables!!!!!!!!!

As I've said on another post, I know a simple way to put a Mod on power cables that mean the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) could track cable thiefs.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

CABLE THIEVES JAILED FOR TOTAL OF 28 MONTHS - SWANSEA

Two men who admitted putting rail staff and passengers^ safety at risk by cutting and removing signalling cable on the railway line at Jersey Marine, near Swansea, have been jailed for a total of 28 months, following an investigation by British Transport Police (BTP)

Brendan Ceri Buckley, 28, and Neil Donald Payne, 29, both from Swansea, pleaded guilty to endangering safety on the railway and theft of cable when they appeared before magistrates earlier this month.

At a sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court today, Monday 27 September, Payne was jailed for 16 months while Buckley was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.

Two BTP officers on patrol in the Jersey Marine area at around 8pm on 15 July saw two men by the railway line with a moped parked close to them.

While the officers watched, Payne and Buckley were both seen to lift up a troughing lid containing the copper cable before appearing to cut the cable.

The men then got on the moped and rode off, dragging a length of cable behind them. After a chase, the men escaped but officers arrested the pair later and recovered the stolen cable.

BTP will continue to work closely with Network Rail to prevent cable thefts by stepping up surveillance with covert actions and tightening security in hotspot areas.

Last year, cable thefts in South Wales alone cost the rail industry ^2million and caused nearly 50,000 minutes of delays, according to Network Rail.

Detective Inspector Mark Cleland, who is heading BTP^s attack on cable thieves in Wales, said: ^We are utilising a whole range of tactics to tackle metal and cable theft across the region. We will continue to carry out high profile patrols at known areas of cable theft activity across Wales, as well as scrap yards which are a key role in tracking taken rail. Officers will be making regular, unannounced visits to scrap dealers searching for stolen metal, ensuring dealers are complying with current legislation and providing advice about what to look out for when checking metal brought into their yards. There is a common assumption that cable theft is a victimless crime, with the only effects being felt by the railway industry. This is not the case. Theft of crime can, and does, cause significant delays and cancellations to the rail industry ^ as well as costing the industry millions of pounds each year. These delays have a considerable impact on the lives of people who rely on the railway to go about their business and can result in people missing vital appointments. Important services can also see disruption as a knock on effect, as key individuals, such as doctors, are left stranded on stationary trains.^

Mark Langman, Network Rail^s area general manger for Wales, said: ^We are not letting cable thieves get away easily. The theft of cable is a constant drain on our resources and cause of considerable disruption to rail users. We are working with our colleagues at the train operating companies and British Transport Police to tackle thieves, including using covert surveillance, helicopter patrols and putting up fences - but we need help from local people, too. It^s your railway ^ help us keep services running reliably by reporting anyone you see acting suspiciously or let the police know of any information you have about people committing these crimes.^

Anyone with information about cable theft should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

[Timmer]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11616870

British Transport Police is calling for tougher powers to tackle the growing problem of metal theft.

There have been more than 5,000 such thefts from the railways and the gas and electricity networks this year. Officers have told BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News the rising price for refined copper means they expect the problem to get worse.

They want the power to shut suspected rogue scrap metal dealers on the spot in the same way they can close pubs, with the decision reviewed by a court.

The last two years have seen the price of refined copper more than double. At the end of 2008 it was selling it at a low of less than ^2,000 a tonne, but by earlier this month it had reached more than ^5,000.

Police say the levels of theft have mirrored the rise and fall in prices, and with the value of scrap expected to continue to rise into next year they fear the problem will become even more acute.

 

[SDS]

Whats the point in giving BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) more powers when they don't even use the ones they currently have!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Further details, facts and figures are given in the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

This year to date BTP has recorded 1,855 cable-related offences and has effected almost 500 arrests.

[Electric train]

Whats the point in giving BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) more powers when they don't even use the ones they currently have!

BTP run the National data base for metal thefts, BTP were the Police force who identified a National problem when they contacted other Police Forces and found that BT, DNO^▸ (Distribution Network Operator)'s Telecom companies all had thefts but there was not coordinated recording.  There are very limited powers even if they stop a van with cable inside they (police) have to prove it is stolen.  Scrap dealers are the ones to hit they are supposed to keep accurate records of vehicle regs names and addresses of sellers as a friend of mine who is a DCI in a local force the number of times Mickey Mouse etc is listed and non existent address and vehicle regs that a incorrect.

I deal with BTP quite regularly regarding worksite security they are proactive they liaise with local forces to increase patrols but BTP is only a small force

[Chris from Nailsea]

From another BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

BTP CRACKS DOWN ON METAL THIEVES AND ROGUE SCRAP DEALERS DURING SPECIAL OPERATION

British Transport Police (BTP) conducted a widespread operation across several counties to crack down on metal thieves on Friday, 22 October.

As part of Operation Ablett, BTP officers were out in force in a bid to show prospective metal and cable thieves, as well scrap metal dealers who flout the law, that crime doesn't pay.

The day of action comes on the back of another year of increasing metal prices on world markets, which have been mirrored by a similar rise in the number of thefts of rail, cable and other metal.

Superintendent Paul Brogden, who headed the operation for BTP, said: "Cable theft is one of the biggest issues facing the rail industry today. Each year the actions of cable thieves cost train operating companies, Network Rail, public utilities companies and local communities millions of pounds in repairs and lost business.^

The operation took place across several areas including north and east London, Essex, the Thames Valley, Coventry, Northampton and Rugby.

More than 40 scrap metal dealers were visited and searched and a total of nine formal written warnings were given for inadequate record keeping.

Warnings were given to dealers in Rugby, Southend, Grays, Basildon, Benfleet, Harlow, Witney, Banbury and Hackney.

Seven arrests were made in dawn raids in Bow (east London), Stanmore, Pangbourne (two men arrested), Coventry and Northampton (one man and one woman arrested).

^Thankfully the thieves are not putting rail passengers at risk when signal cable is damaged because any signals attached to a severed cable will automatically switch to red, halting any trains on the track,^ added Supt Brogden. ^But the culprits are certainly putting themselves in harm^s way. The majority of cable thieves are opportunist and as such will have little or no understanding of the cable they attempt to steal. Some of this cable carries extremely high voltage and we have seen a number of cases in which thieves have been seriously injured, suffering extensive burns, after cutting through live cable."

The operation was the latest response to cable and general metal theft, which saw BTP officers continue to target thieves and their means of carrying and selling on stolen cable.

Cable seized on the day included:

- 10 tons of electricity power cabling from the Reading area.

- One ton of suspect copper cabling and 25 bags of copper piping found at a scrap yard in Benfleet.

- Twenty-five 5ft lengths of cabling recovered from the Romford area.

- Five tons of railway cabling recovered from Wokingham area.

- Half a ton of cabling (believed to belong to BT and Network Rail) recovered from the Coventry area.

Details of arrests (all bailed pending further enquiries).

21 year old man from Pangbourne, Berkshire.
20 year old man from Reading, Berkshire.
40 year old man from Bow, east London.
34 year old man from Stanmore, north west London.
43 year old man and a 49 year-old woman, no fixed abode, but known to Northampton area.
42 year old man from Coventry.

[SDS]

Whats the point in giving BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) more powers when they don't even use the ones they currently have!

BTP run the National data base for metal thefts, BTP were the Police force who identified a National problem when they contacted other Police Forces and found that BT, DNO^▸ (Distribution Network Operator)'s Telecom companies all had thefts but there was not coordinated recording.  There are very limited powers even if they stop a van with cable inside they (police) have to prove it is stolen.  Scrap dealers are the ones to hit they are supposed to keep accurate records of vehicle regs names and addresses of sellers as a friend of mine who is a DCI in a local force the number of times Mickey Mouse etc is listed and non existent address and vehicle regs that a incorrect.

I deal with BTP quite regularly regarding worksite security they are proactive they liaise with local forces to increase patrols but BTP is only a small force

Police have virtually unrestricted powers to stop a moving vehicle, and then do a search. But most cable is normally security marked anyway (be it overt or covert) that's the proof.
Should just hammer the scrap dealers and shut them down. Thought various regs and acts made them have to keep an accurate record and if its wrong, then penalties?

My personal opinion (and that of many of my colleagues) of BTP is that they are useless and never assist when you need them to. They waste money on pointless satisfaction surveys and fail to prosecute staff assaults (yes I know thats the CPS, but then if the CPS never get the file in the first place??....). Should just merge BTP into civi police.

[Electric train]

Elsewhere in these forums the subject of cable thefts often appears as the reason for causing disruption. 

Metal theft is at an almost pandemic level in other parts of the network to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) particularly in the Southeastern, Southern and Southwestern TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) areas where traction substations are raided and striped of all or part of the copper used to earth the electrical equipment while this does not very often cause train delays it does limit the ability of Maintenance and renewals teams from accessing these substation unless they are switched out this more often than not can only be at night when not trains are running, it is not unknown for the copper to be replaced for it to nicked the next night.  While there are alarm systems and other security measures these thieves are become very cleaver at defeating these.

Last weekend a gang broke into a substation in South London to steal the copper earthing during the execution of their crime one of them, a 28 year old male, cut into a live 33,000 volt cable, this resulted in his death.  While it is easy not to have any sympathy with these thieves but the victims death would have been horrific possibly prolonged and very traumatic for those with him at the time I could not wish that on anyone the message needs to get out there that electrical substations are dangerous places and they will kill.

[smokey]

Well I've said on other post's that I've a cheap idea that will help NR^» (Network Rail - home page) catch cable thieves, but no one seems interested.

[JayMac]

Very little sympathy for the victim or those that witnessed his death.

[devon_metro]

The local substation feeding the 3rd rail is guarded 24hours by security. Are similar operations not in place elsewhere?

[Electric train]

The local substation feeding the 3rd rail is guarded 24hours by security. Are similar operations not in place elsewhere?

With close on a 1000 traction substations etc on the former Southern Region and somewhere about the same in 25kV sites around the network 24 hour a day security guards are not feasible, there are other methods now being deployed.

This link will take you to This is London News website article mentioned in the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter)  http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/whereilive/southeast/lewisham/8729891.PENGE___CATFORD__Five_arrested_after_electrocuted_body_found_near_train_line/

[Chris from Nailsea]

Very little sympathy for the victim or those that witnessed his death.

On the other hand, one could say, one has 'very little sympathy for the culprit ... or those that witnessed his death ...'