Power company pledges to obtain prosecutions after Harold Wood metal thief fined
A power company has pledged that it will always try to prosecute metal thieves, following a successful case after a theft in Harold Wood recently.
Ivan Ebifan stole more than �600 worth of metal belonging to UK Power Networks in Bates Road, Harold Wood, on February 12.
The 24-year-old, of Thornbury Gardens, Borehamwood, pleaded guilty to theft at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court, and on June 22, he was fined �325 and ordered to pay costs of �85 and a victim surcharge of �15.
In October of last year, an electrical substation in Rainham belonging to the company was hit by metal thieves, leaving hundreds of residents without power.
A spokesman for the company said that they couldn’t comment on individual cases, but said they are working to tackle the problem of metal theft.
He said: “We occasionally find that substations and other electrical equipment are targets for thieves and vandals, and UK Power Networks takes these incidents very seriously.
“Safety is of paramount importance to UK Power Networks and we would like to warn that anyone entering a substation, other than our own trained engineers, is risking their lives and the lives of others.
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“We will always press for the prosecution of anyone caught tampering with our network.”
The spokesman added: “Metal theft is currently a global problem, driven by the rising price and high demand for metal across the world. National work is being carried out by the police to understand the extent of the crime across the UK.”
