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Monday 31 Mar 2008

REVEALED: THE £50K COST OF CABLE THEFT IN THE NORTH EAST

Region & Route:

Thieves who have stolen cable from the railway on the Durham coast have cost the industry £50, 000 in March - money that could have been invested in improving services for passengers.

Extra officers from British Transport Police (BTP) are patrolling the areas around Hartlepool, Sunderland, Darlington and Seaham following a spate of thefts of cabling used in the signal systems on the train network.

Dyan Crowther, Route Director, said: "The selfish and dangerous actions of these thieves have resulted in major disruption to passengers. We are determined to help catch those responsible. Anyone who has information about these thefts should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40.

"We have recorded 14 incidents of theft on the Durham coast in March 2008. These crimes caused around 3,000 minutes worth of delay to our customers. The financial cost will run to around £50,000 plus staff costs."

Network Rail has been working closely with the BTP to target the thieves and prevent thefts. Measures include increased security patrols, improved fencing, high tech security measures and training Network Rail staff in forensic techniques to improve conviction rates.

Ms Crowther added: "We do all we can to keep the railways running but we need the public to help us to protect and maintain their services. I am making a personal appeal to anyone who knows the people behind this crime to come forward with information."

Detective Chief Inspector Danny Snee of British Transport Police said: "After the threat of terrorism, the theft of cable is one of BTP’s biggest challenges. Those who steal cable are not just risking a prison sentence, they are risking their lives.

"BTP has dedicated cable squads that undertake regular operations including round the clock patrols targeted at hotspot crime areas. Those involved can expect us to use every means to target them. We are working hard to catch and prosecute culprits in an attempt to eradicate this problem."

Tricia Riley, Area Director, Northern Rail added: “Cable theft is one of the single biggest cause of delay to our services at the moment resulting in disruption and inconvenience to thousands of customers. We welcome any information anyone can give to help catch the offenders and help eliminate this problem.”

Grand Central Managing Director, Tom Clift, said: “The effect of this persistent criminal activity is a cause of great annoyance to our passengers, our staff and the wider community. It must be stopped.”