Metal cables worth £6,000 stolen near Ashwell

THIEVES removed a manhole cover before making off with metal cables worth £6,000.

The raiders took 310 metres of phone cabling from near the Ashwell turning on the A505 at some time between 7pm on Wednesday, February 20, and 7am on Thursday, February 21.

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Sergeant Jon Vine, from the Royston Neighbourhood Team, said: “This is a significant amount of cabling and would be very heavy to move or carry, so it is likely the offenders removed the manhole cover then used a four-wheel-drive vehicle to pull it out.

“I would urge anyone who saw people acting suspiciously near the side of the road to get in touch.”

Sgt Vine added that police would also like to hear from anyone who has spotted plastic casing from the cables, which may have been discarded by the thieves.

Metal theft is a growing problem across the UK, and last year Herts Police launched a dedicated task-force to combat the crime.

However, Sgt Vine said reports of such thefts in Crow country are few and far between.

“This is the first one we’ve had in a long while, it’s not usually a problem round here,” he said. “We routinely stop and search people working at the side of the roads to check their credentials.

“Just because someone has a uniform on or is wearing a high-visibility jacket, it doesn’t mean they are genuine.”

Anyone with information on the incident should contact police on 101.