Cambridgeshire: £20k reward offered for information on cable thefts

A £20,000 reward has been offered for information which leads to the conviction of people responsible for stealing cables.

Openreach has teamed up with Crimestoppers to offer the money after a series of thefts in Swavesey and Witchford in Cambridgeshire.

The thefts left emergency services, homes and businesses without phonelines and broadband.

An Openreach spokesman said it was "working closely" with police.

Large sections of live cable were dragged from the underground network using 4x4 vehicles in Witchford Road, Ely, between 18:00 and 21:30 GMT on 2 January.

Between 21:30 on 4 January and the early hours of 5 January cables were also stolen on Fen Drayton Road in Swavesey.

This followed damage to the network and subsequent disruption in Witchford before Christmas, Crimestoppers said.

"Significant damage was also caused to street furniture, farmland and the RSPB nature reserve in Swavesey following cables being dragged through the protected land," the charity said.

The cables were restored within a couple of days.

Annabelle Goodenough from Crimestoppers urged anyone with information to contact the charity.

"You can tell us what you know while protecting your identity and staying 100% anonymous," she said.

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