British Transport Police (BTP) officers will be out in force this Christmas as the fight against cable and metal thieves continues.
Officers will be teaming up with Welsh police forces and other agencies, including Environment Agency Wales, to tackle criminals who continue to trade in stolen metal – despite the meagre financial returns.
Detective Inspector Mark Cleland, the regional metal theft lead, said there would be no let-up in BTP’s fight against cable thieves over the festive period.
He said: “Cable theft has an enormous impact, not just on the running of the railway, but also on the lives of those who rely on the network to go about their daily business.
“2011 has been an unprecedented year in the sheer scale of the problem which has had a negative impact on countless people who have been stranded at stations or stuck on trains as a result of criminal activity.
“British Transport Police remains committed to tackling cable and metal theft in all its guises and we will use all available methods to both track down thieves and put them before the courts.
“We work closely with partners such as Network Rail and the train operating companies to exploit all possible investigative avenues and to show the judicial system just how seriously this criminality impacts on the running of the railway.
“What was once seen as a victimless crime is now viewed, in the majority of cases, as one which has a direct impact on hundreds of thousands of people.
“We will continue to pursue cable thieves and will not hesitate to seek the strongest possible sanctions.”