A REWARD of up to £1,000 has been offered to anyone who can identify thieves who have stolen electrical cables and equipment.

Crimestoppers and Northern Powergrid have offered the rewards for information on metal thieves, who they say are endangering themselves and communities across North Yorkshire by stealing high voltage cables, earthing and other electrical equipment.

So far this year, there have been 354 incidents of metal theft or vandalism across Northern Powergrid's electricity network, including five locations in one night in the Camblesforth area in May where thieves cut power lines and stole cable which left a two-mile area with power failures, including a footpath used by schoolchildren.

Nigel Walker, Northern Powergrid’s Vulnerable Assets Manager said: "These thieves are reckless and show complete disregard for people’s lives.

"Not only do they disrupt people’s electricity supplies by causing significant damage to our power network, they often leave cables carrying thousands of volts hanging dangerously low and within easy reach of innocent passers-by, such as dog walkers or children. We urge anyone who sees any suspicious activity around our network to report it immediately. Your actions could save someone’s life."

Gemma Wilson, from Crimestoppers, said: "What people don’t realise is metal and cable theft is incredibly dangerous and is a real threat to life – we don’t want to pick up the paper and hear of somebody dying as a result of a metal theft.

"The impact these incidents have on a community is huge, and this is why Crimestoppers and Northern Powergrid are determined to eradicate this crime and keep our communities safe."

Anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 or through an anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org with rewards of up to £1,000 available for information which leads to arrest and conviction.