Power cable thefts cost £50,000, police say

Police said the thefts took place in Frampton, Lincoln and Middle Marsh

Recent power cable thefts in Lincolnshire have caused about £50,000 in losses, police have said.

Lincolnshire Police said the thefts happened last week in Frampton, Lincoln and Middle Marsh.

A spokesperson said the losses did not include the cost of repairing the damage caused by removing the cables.

The force is asking people to be "vigilant" and call National Grid if they experience a power cut during the early hours of the morning.

The latest thefts follow several incidents in recent weeks. Last month, police in Skegness said they had been made aware of "a number of power thefts" across the county.

In October last year, police arrested a man on suspicion of stealing £2,000-worth of power cables from a mobile breast screening unit in a Scunthorpe car park.

Meanwhile, the broadband provider OpenReach said it was combatting cable theft in Lincolnshire by coating miles of underground cables with a forensic liquid marker, which leaves a DNA trace on skin and clothing.

Network Rail has also complained about cable theft. In December it was forced to close a line in Lancashire after £100,000-worth of electric cables were stolen.

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