Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network, has seen a recent increase in thefts of safety equipment from its working sites in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
Over the past few weeks, vans have visited several working locations after engineers left the site with thieves – often wearing some form of high visibility clothing – stealing vital safety equipment which are in place to protect the public and prevent accidents.
The most recent incident happened in Monklands, Letchworth, on Wednesday 31 July, when several open sites had equipment stolen from them. Worryingly, a member of the public suffered damage to their vehicle when it struck a hole which had been exposed by the theft.
Another incident happened in Dunstable Road, Luton, when thieves targeted a gas mains replacement project close to Luton and Dunstable Hospital. Thankfully, no one was injured due to the theft, and replacement safety equipment was quickly re-installed.
Public safety is of the highest importance and as soon as Cadent was made aware of the thefts, teams were immediately dispatched with new equipment to replace what had been stolen and make the sites safe once again.
All thefts have been reported to Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Police who are investigating, but Cadent has also increased security at working sites as well as shared letters and spoken directly with residents living in areas where work is taking place.
Vicky Grieve, Network Director for the East of England at Cadent, said: “It is really worrying to see that equipment put in place to keep the public safe, is being stolen.
“It appears that criminals are targeting certain types of safety equipment that are being removed from our sites and then driven away in large vans or trucks. Sadly, this means that work sites are being left uncovered and the risk of an injury or damage to property increases.
“These thefts have taken place on open work sites outside of our normal operating hours of 8.30am to 5pm. While Cadent do conduct emergency work which might take place 24 hours a day seven days a week, it would be highly unusual for any of our colleagues to return to existing work sites after 5pm.
“If anyone sees anything suspicious, we would really appreciate their help. Please contact the police by calling 101 and let Cadent know by either calling 0800 151 2404 or emailing [email protected].
“When one of our engineers arrives at your door, they will always show you their identification card. They also won’t be offended if you close the door and call us to check they are who they claim to be. They are happy to wait on the doorstep until you are happy.
“The safety of our customers is paramount to us, and we’d like to thank everyone for helping us keep their communities safe.”
You can report information by calling the police on 101, or via an online web chat in Hertfordshire or via the Report a Crime website in Bedfordshire. In an emergency, always dial 999.
