Newcastle University dementia scanner hit by copper wire theft

The break-in at the electricity substation is being investigated

A scanner used for "ground-breaking" dementia and cancer research is unable to be used after copper wiring was stolen.

Thieves targeted an electricity sub-station powering the equipment at Newcastle University's Westgate Road site on Monday, police said.

It caused "major damage" to the £4m PET-MR scanner's low-voltage supply and "significantly impacted" the equipment.

The university added it was not known when the machine could be used again.

The scanner, at the Centre for In-Vivo Imaging based at the Campus for Ageing and Vitality, is one of "only a handful" of similar pieces of equipment in the country, the university said.

One source told the BBC it would "hit research hard".

'Selfish minority'

It is used for research into understanding treatment therapies of life-threatening conditions, such as cancer and dementia, and combines MRI scanning with molecular imaging by positron emission tomography (PET).

A Newcastle University spokesperson said: "As a university that is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of adults and children here in the North East, we are extremely disappointed that our PET-MR scanner has been affected by the actions of a selfish minority.

"The break-in at our PET-MR centre has significantly impacted the scanner with major damage to the low-voltage supply.

"We do not know when the equipment will be available for use again, but we will work hard to bring it back into operation for our pioneering research to continue."

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said it was investigating a theft from an electricity sub-station in Westgate Road at 19:45 GMT on Monday.

"Offenders gained access to a building and stole a quantity of copper wiring, before making off," a spokesperson said.

Witnesses are being urged to come forward.