Police plea after series of cable thefts across Cambridgeshire

Police are urging people to report anything suspicious around cable thefts as they step up patrols across the county, which has left vital services cut for hundreds of residents.

Underground cables, which connect homes and businesses to the phone and broadband network, have been targeted by criminals on a number of occasions across Cambridgeshire in recent weeks.

The damage caused often leaves hundreds of people without working phone or broadband for long periods of time.

With the rising prices of scrap metal including copper and aluminium, cables are becoming a popular target amongst thieves, who are looking to cash in on the trade.

They will lift up manhole covers by grass verges or carriageways to access the underground cables often masquerading as legitimate contractors.

The plastic sheathing on the cables will then be burnt in fields and the metal inside sold on.

Openreach’s network has been attacked eight time since last month (May) in locations including the A10 Waterbeach, A1198 Cambourne, Linton, Mepal, Soham, Somersham, Wickham and Wooley.

Detective Chief Inspector Helen Tebbit said: “Cable thefts have increased in recent months with the high price of copper fuelling the activity.

“Our patrols have increased across the county and we will also be working with partner agencies, including Openreach, to target suspects.

“We are committed to making it harder for cable thieves to operate in our county and we will be targeting areas we believe are at increased risk, but we can’t do it alone.

“We need the public’s help to report anything suspicious or anything they see that might not see quite right, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. Once call could make all the difference and potentially stop cables being stolen.”

Richard Ginnaw, from Openreach, added: “The loss of a phone line can affect really important services, including healthcare, as well as the ability to contact emergency services. It’s also pulling our engineers away from other work. Repairing the damage typically takes days, if not weeks, costing us thousands of pounds.

“We’re working closely with the police and we’re really grateful for their effort and support.”

Officers will be increasing their regular patrols and members of the public are being asked to:

Look out for open manhole covers and be aware of bogus roadworks or suspicious activity around the covers.

Look out for thick acrid black smoke and fires in rural locations, this could be thieves burning the cables.

Cables are often pulled from the ground and dragged along farmer’s fields in order to cut them up. Be aware of this type of crop damage.

Concerns or information can be reported online www.cambs.police.uk/report or by calling 101, quoting Op Akita. Always call 999 in an emergency.

Openreach also has a dedicated area of their website Report cable theft | Openreach where you can find out more about their work to combat cable theft, along with details about how to contact their security team.