Ten people held in police cable theft operation

Ten people are today (Wednesday) in police custody being questioned over cable theft from the railways.

In what is described as a major policing operation, 90 officers from British Transport Police swooped in ten early morning raids at addresses in Newark, Grantham, Doncaster, Lincoln and Wellingborough.

Those arrested are suspected of being involved in thefts in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Detailed house searches followed the arrests and a number of items were seized and removed for forensic examination, including cutting tools, mobile phones, computer and laptops, receipts and bank statements.

Detective Inspector Stuart Mellish, heading up the operation said: “These arrests follow a complex seven-month investigation by officers from Operation Leopard, BTP’s team of officers dedicated to tackling cable theft. We believe this organised gang have been working together to steal cable, valued in the region of over £1.2m, from across England over a one year period.

“Railway cable theft is blighting our infrastructure and disrupting the lives of ordinary people on a daily basis, but we have teams of officers dedicated to tackling the problem and who have been really effective.

“We're also arresting more and more thieves and putting them before the courts. However, we’re not complacent."

A 34-year-old man was arrested in Newark, three men were arrested in the Doncaster area, four men were arrested in the Grantham area, one in Lincoln, and one in the Wellingborough area.

All are currently being held for questioning.