UK: Infrastructure theft

This is not a one-off.  This is going on all the time - copper is valuable

Cable theft leaves phones cut off for a second week

More than 100 people are facing another week without telephone lines and the internet after thieves stole half a mile of cable from an East Yorkshire village.

BBC, 

20 February, 2012

BT customers living in Tickton near Beverley lost their connection after the theft on 9 February.

Some local businesses said the disruption was affecting trade.

BT said it hoped to complete the restoration of the service by Friday at the latest.

The Tickton Grange Hotel claimed the lack of internet and phone access was disrupting its business.

Manager Paul Whyman said: "We have a direct booking system, for example, which is internet based.

"Nowadays people like to look on the internet, see the hotel, see we are a nice place in beautiful East Yorkshire and press the button.

"They can't do that at the moment, so we are missing very important business."

BT said 800m (2,625 ft) of cable was stolen and just under 2,000m (6,562 ft) left severely damaged and in need of replacement.

The company said it had reconnected some people but that work had been halted while temporary traffic lights were installed