Carnlough Metal theft poses serious risk

09 March 2012 15:39

NI Water is appealing to the public to help prevent further theft of fire hydrant lids from the Carnlough area. To date, over 10 fire hydrant covers have been stolen from various locations around Carnlough.

These covers are a vital way of keeping the public safe and protecting our assets. The theft of these covers poses a serious risk to road users who may go over the exposed hole in the road.

NI Water representative, Ivan Graham, explains:

“Those involved are simply after a quick way to make money by selling the lids as scrap metal. However, the amount they would receive for these lids is minimal, certainly not worth the price of a life or a serious injury if someone has an accident as a result of these thefts.

“Fire hydrants are there to provide the NI Fire & Rescue Service with a source of water in the event of a fire. Any tampering with these hydrants is potentially dangerous and illegal.

“We need the public to support us and would appeal to them to report any suspicious activity to the local PSNI or to Waterline on 08457 440088.”

The thefts took place at various locations around Carnlough, however, metal theft is becoming more common across Northern Ireland. While the thief may only receive a small amount of money for the metal, it costs NI Water thousands of pounds to replace and repair the damage caused.

These assets belong to everyone in Northern Ireland, when they are vandalised or stolen, it is a direct attack on the community. Help us stop it, report any incident to the PSNI or Waterline on 08457 440088.