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Police appeal after 1km of copper cable is stolen
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after hundreds of people were left without their landline phone service after 1km of underground telephone cable was stolen in Alfriston.
It is believed men posing as workers were behind the incident after a witness reported seeing three men wearing high-visibility jackets at 10.15pm on Wednesday, October 28.
The three men, one described as bald, were seen at the side of the road wearing the fluorescent safety clothing next to two transit-type vans.
It is believed the vehicles would have been used to pull the cables from the ground due to the skid marks in the grass.
A vehicle was later heard to be revving between 1am and 2am.
It is believed the men dug up the grass over man- holes at the side of the road, near to Drusillas roundabout, to reach the sealed covers and the copper cabling beneath, which is 6-8" in circumference and very heavy.
Workers from the telephone company were sent to Alfriston the following day after a fault on the telephone line appeared.
The line would have been live when the theft took place and was still live when the workers arrived which is extremely dangerous.
The estimated cost to repair and replace the cable is 45,000.
It is understood telephone services were restored to hundreds of homes and businesses in the nearby area on Thursday evening.
Police are appealing for anyone with information to please contact 0845 60 70 999, quoting serial 204 28/10, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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