Brighton: Reward Offered After Cables Cut

25 February 2014, 11:34 | Updated: 25 February 2014, 11:38

A reward is being offered for help to catch whoever cut cables leaving homes in Brighton without phone and internet connections.

Around 1,500 people were affected after the damage was caused in Home Road in the Preston area during the morning of Friday 21st February.
 
Crimestoppers and partner Openreach (a BT Group Business) are appealing for information relating to what has been described as a malicious attack on the telecommunications network.

Openreach engineers worked over the weekend to restore service to ensure the disruption was resolved quickly.
 
Openreach has a partnership with Crimestoppers, which offers up to £1,000 reward for information on cable thieves that lead to arrests and subsequent successful convictions. People can call the charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.
 
Crimestoppers and Openreach began working together in February 2011 and since then have been encouraging more people to help stop malicious damage being caused to this vital national infrastructure.
 
Crimestoppers Area Manager for Sussex, Carolyn Randall, said: “Not only is this crime hugely inconvenient to the members of the public affected, but it is also incredibly dangerous and can be life threatening.
 
“Don’t let these individuals benefit from the proceeds of crime. Contact Crimestoppers anonymously, safe in the knowledge that your information will be treated 100 per cent anonymously – no one will ever know you spoke to us.”
 
Bernie Auguste Openreach Security said: “We would appeal to local residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour in or around street cabinets or manhole covers immediately. The theft of metal is a continuing problem in the UK, affecting many industry sectors. Through your help BT’s partnership with Crimestoppers has led to arrests and subsequent successful convictions.
 
If you have any information on this incident please contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through our Anonymous Online Form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.