The batch of grates were ripped up from Snowley Park, Crossway Hand, Irving Burgess Close and Barnes Way, in Whittlesey, between 8pm, on Tuesday, June 3, and 7am the following day.

The covers, which are owned by Cambridgeshire County Council, cost £200 each to replace.

It is not the first time crooks have wreaked havoc on businesses, churches, GP surgeries and homes in Peterborough and beyond by stripping lead and copper from cables and roofs to cash in on the soaring cost of metal in the Far East.

WE want to know if your street been targetted by metal thieves? Email eteditor@peterboroughtoday.co.uk or comment below.

On May 12, 24 drain grilles were lifted from an industrial estate in Peterborough under the cover of darkness.

And in January, 22 covers were taken from Glinton, near Peterborough, leaving gaping holes in the street.

Whittlesey councillor Ken Mayor said: "It is putting lives in danger. If anyone walks along, especially in the dark, they could be seriously injured if there is a hole in the road.

"You only have to watch TV to see that lead is being taken off church roofs and phone cables stolen.

"It's a very serious thing."

Police launched Operation Saruman in September last year to combat the spiralling problem, after they estimated that metal thefts were costing the county more than £500,000 every month.

Since then, there have been more than 70 arrests, and detectives revealed a recent success in combatting thefts of phone cables – with none reported in the past few weeks.

Recently, in two separate cases, offenders who had stolen lead from the roofs of churches and schools were jailed for more than two years.

Since the beginning of April, police have stopped and searched more than 250 vehicles, helped issue £6,000 in fines – which are given to people who are involved in the transportation or disposal of metals – and six vehicles have been seized for having no insurance.

Also, each week sees a multi-agency day of action where offenders are intercepted on disposal routes, ensuring arrests and prosecutions.

Detective Inspector Andy Gipp said: "Operation Saruman continues to gather pace, and efforts to arrest and disrupt thieves are ongoing.

"Smartwater is being used extensively to mark metal, and we are working with British Telecom to protect its infrastructure with the liquid.

"We are listening to the needs of scrap metal dealers and have been the first county to introduce a 24- hour reporting system – notifying the dealers of all material stolen within the county in the previous 24 hours to disrupt and arrest offenders.

"If people see anything suspicious, for example people driving around slowly looking at properties, knocking at doors asking for any metal or any other suspicious activity, they should call police."

Meanwhile, police are appealing for anyone who has information about the Whittlesey theft to call Detective Constable Sarah Fines, at Wisbech CID, on 0845 456 4564, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.