Nine drain covers have been stolen from a Wolverhampton suburb as thieves cash in on the booming black market for metal.
Streets in Tettenhall Wood were turned into danger zones for pedestrians following the thefts, which left gaping holes in the ground. Residents today condemned the culprits, who are believed to have struck in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Three lids were stolen from Regina Crescent, two from Cornwall Road, two from Regis Road and one from both Penk Rise and Foley Avenue. A team of emergency workers was called in to assemble protective barriers around the manholes to make them safe.
Joan Davies, aged 61, who lives in of Regis Road, said: “I couldn’t believe it. It’s so dangerous it beggars belief. The thieves have a total disregard for people’s lives.”
Tettenhall Regis councillor Barry Findlay said: “This is absolutely shocking and I’m appalled. Manholes have a very high scrap value just like lead, but this is the first time this has ever happened on the estate.
“If anyone walked past they would have broken a leg and a child could have fell through. It’s a despicable crime and the people who did it should be ashamed of themselves.
“The estate is safe now but these manholes will cost taxpayers thousands of pounds to replace.”
Construction booms in countries such as China have sent the price of metals such as lead and steel through the roof.
Door knobs, shopping trolleys and even a bus shelter have been stolen by thieves in the Black Country in recent months.
Unscrupulous scrap metal dealers are turning a blind eye when criminals turn up with wheelie-bin loads of metal to sell.
Police launched Operation Steel in August to tackle the problem. So far, around 350 people have been arrested and at least one scrap dealer has been convicted of handling stolen beer barrels.
10 Comments
What has this country come to?
If these,I know a big If. But if these scum are caught, will they be charged with attemped manslaughter??
what if fall in one? Im fed up of this rubbish, dirty scum why dont u all get a job like the rest of us …
Why was a team called in to assemble barriers round the holes to make them safe. Surely the answer was to replace the covers. Or is that too obvious.
they should replace them with lids that have anti tamper fixings
These drain covers are going to be brought to a scrap metal dealer somewhere.
They are obviously drain covers.
Previously, there have been thefts of fencing, roofing lead, builders’ ladders, street signs and cables.
If a scrap dealer handles what is obviously stolen goods, say, a street sign, can he be done for receiving stolen goods?
These alkies, druggies and wasters only steal stuff if they can use it themselves or sell it.
Police need to crack down on those who buy scrap metal in order to reduce the theft of it.
police should be targeting the scrap-yards, otherwise all metal thefts will continue.
this government won’t stop the yobs doing what they want to do.what we need is a government with b###s.not some silly wotsit who slaps them on whe wrist and says :don’t be naughty:.
Wotcha.
Here’s a thought.
Why not replace ‘em with covers made from a material that isn’t worth as much to thieves ? . . . . providing such a material exists.
No, the simple answer isn’t to replace them. Thiefs aren’t as thick as you’re lead to believe. Replace them and they’ll be gone the next day.
Barriers are placed around the holes because the council is now liable for anyone falling down them.
The only way to fix this is turn britain into a plastic society, ie plastic covers, plastic roof coverings, plastic gates etc etc.
“The only way to fix this is turn britain into a plastic society, ie plastic covers, plastic roof coverings, plastic gates etc etc.”
Nah, the only way to fix this is to get the police out from behind their desks and policing the streets, giving them more powers of arrest and allowing the courts to hand out stiffer sentences to deter the thieving scum.
In fact, let’s go the whole hog and allow parents and teachers to discipline their kids effectively and ensure we don’t suffer from future generations of low-life thieving little sh*ts who go through life viewing the law as a minor inconvenience and the justice system as a joke.
Alternatively, let’s just make drain lids out of plastic and sod the fact that this country is nose diving quickly under a weak government and declining moral standards.