We have received a timely reminder last week of the need to take special precautions to mitigate against the threat of cable theft.

Whilst undertaking rerouting work on our site at West Deeping, National Grid have been the victim of cable thieves who got away with a brand new 33Kv reel of cable (see sample picture) which was on site awaiting installation.

Copper value remains at an all-time high and theft of cable continues to be a recognised national issue. This threat must not be underestimated. Whilst on this occasion Cemex is not the injured party, our National Grid contacts advise the value of this loss is in the £35,000-£40,000 region!

We would like to take this opportunity to once again encourage all Site Managers to review the vulnerability of cable at their locations, ensure it is hidden wherever it can be, and if this is not possible, impose measures to otherwise make it difficult to steal.

New and replacement installations and projects MUST take additional security measures upon delivery of new cable. Hiding cable remains the simplest and most cost-effective method of reducing the risk. In addition, there are a variety of technical measures available including CCTV and forensic marking solutions.

Please reach out to Colin Jones and John Sweeting if you would like the Security team to complete a detailed review of your site.