Horsmonden: Copper thefts leave villagers without phone lines
Kate Mills Residents and small businesses in part of a Kent village were left without phone lines for almost three weeks following a spate of copper thefts.
Thieves have targeted Horsmonden, near Tunbridge Wells, four times in the past month. Lines have now been restored.
Experts say the rising price of copper is making the metal more desirable.
Openreach said there were vast amounts of engineering costs involved in carrying out repairs to reconnect customers.
Villagers said the copper thefts had caused inconvenience and misery.
Store owner, Kate Mills, said: "Openreach did put CCTV in after the third theft and they did get footage after the fourth attempt.
"But the van had false plates on it. So these are professionals and they know what they're doing."
Resident Vanessa Inness said: "It has been three weeks now. They've been stealing the cable over and over again."
Robin Edwards, from the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership, said: "The price of copper has soared to a level we haven't seen before in recent months due to an increase in global demand.
"You're looking at £8,000 per tonne which makes it an extremely valuable commodity to those who want to go out and steal it."
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