Warning as man attempts cat rescue at substation

Electrcity North West said people should avoid substations

A man who tried to rescue his cat from the roof of an electricity substation has been rebuked by a power company.

Electricity North West said the man was spotted after engineers were called to a sub-station following reports of a cat on the roof.

They found a resident with a set of metal ladders trying to climb the high voltage station on Banks Lane, Stockport.

The man was warned he was trespassing and putting his life at risk and was asked to leave at once.

The company said the cat "left of its own accord".

Energy company employees have special training, electrical authorisation and protective equipment to enter substations and they undertake years of training to ensure their safety.

Paul Killilea, Electricity North West’s asset and investment director, said every year it received hundreds of requests to retrieve balls, frisbees and other things that landed in the grounds of substations.

'Serious injury or worse'

“It is never a problem for our teams to do that and we encourage people to call us rather than enter our substations illegally themselves," he said.

"It was a surprise to learn in this case that somebody had taken metal ladders into the grounds of a substation to retrieve an animal, whilst this may be tempting, we urge people never to do this."

Electricity North West is also urging parents to warn their children about the dangers of playing near power sources.

It is calling on people to note its overhead lines, electricity substations and yellow "danger of death" signs and stay clear of the power network.

People are warned not to use kites or long tent poles near overhead lines as electricity can jump from the lines and travel down directly to the person holding them, causing serious injury or even worse.