09 July 2010 10:38 Walsall power pole attack leaves Central Networks stumped
Senseless vandals have put stupidity ahead of common sense in Bloxwich after cutting through a wooden power pole.
A farmer alerted Central Networks to the incident on Fishley Lane on Wednesday (7th July) afternoon. When engineers arrived at the site, they found the pole had been cut around 12 inches from the ground and was resting on the stump, supported by the overhead cabling.
Phil Wilson, Customer Operations Manager for Central Networks, said: “It beggars belief that someone would even attempt to cut through a power pole which is supporting live electricity lines, let alone completely slice through it and leave it there.
“It’s incredibly dangerous and whoever did this is lucky not to have been seriously injured. In this case the pole stayed in place but it could have been a very different story.”
Police are investigating the incident, which inconvenienced more than 600 customers who had their power supply interrupted while the power pole was replaced and repairs to the network carried out.
Anyone who has information about the incident, or any vandalism to or theft of Central Networks property, is encouraged to contact police or call CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Ends
Notes to editors:
· Central Networks, provides a reliable supply to 10 million people in central England through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables – enough to go round the Earth more than three times – and via almost 94,000 substations.
· Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.
For further information contact:
Alisha Allen on 02476 192 063