Arrest after 1,700 metres of cable ripped from road
Nottinghamshire PoliceA man has been arrested after 1,700 metres of cable were ripped out from under the A617 in Nottinghamshire.
Nottinghamshire Police said officers on patrol on the road, near Kelham, saw several vehicles speeding away as they approached them just after midnight on Sunday.
On closer inspection, the force said the team found about 1,700 metres (5,577ft) of cable had been ripped out of the ground.
Officers tracked down two vehicles believed to have been involved in the theft to the Newark area, where a 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft of cable and theft of a motor vehicle.
One of the cars believed to have been involved was found abandoned in the Newark area, with a manhole lifting tool and equipment consistent with cable theft discovered inside.
A second vehicle with a suspect inside was then located nearby, and items linked to cable theft were found onboard, which police said was stolen from a Newark address two days earlier.
'Very dangerous'
Police said officers had been on patrol due to a spate of high-value copper cable thefts in the area in recent weeks.
A force spokesperson added that these inquiries resulted in officers spotting and pulling over a vehicle on 17 February, which was linked to the theft of tens of thousands of pounds worth of cable.
After finding tools consistent with theft onboard, officers arrested two men, 40 and 48, on suspicion of theft of cable, attempted theft and going equipped for theft.
Speaking about the incident on Sunday, Insp Charlotte Ellam said: "This spot ultimately prevented hundreds and hundreds of metres of cable from being stolen, while response and neighbourhood officers also tracked down two vehicles believed to be involved before making an arrest too."
She added: "The techniques used to extract the copper cabling in these high-value thefts are very dangerous... [and] they can also lead to costly power outages."
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