Crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers and partner Openreach (a BT Group Business) are appealing for information relating to damage to its telecommunications network following an incident in Croydon [20 February 2013].

The damage was caused at approximately 10.30am on Tuesday February 19 on Southbridge Place, affecting Openreach customers. This is not the first incident to have occurred in the Croydon area.

This malicious damage caused disruption to services for hundreds of residents and businesses over a wide area, causing them huge inconvenience, and in some cases, costing them money.
 
Crimestoppers and Openreach began working together in February 2011 and since then have been encouraging more people to help stop malicious damage being caused to this vital national infrastructure.

Crimestoppers’ Regional Manager for London, Regan Hook, appealed for members of the public to come forward with information about the crime to ensure locals were not affected again in the future.

She said: “Cable theft is becoming a far too frequent crime that affects so many people in different ways.

“This is such a needless crime and it is infuriating for all those affected, so I would ask anyone with information to come forward with information anonymously so we can prevent this happening again.”

BT Security General Manager for Cable Theft, Simon Davies, was equally concerned.

He said: “Cable thieves seem to be targeting Croydon once again with other incidents having occurred close-by recently.  If you have any information on activity happening around a manhole in Southbridge Place, mid-morning on Tuesday, please contact Crimestoppers now and help safeguard your community services.”

If you have any information on this incident please contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through our secure online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.  

-ENDS-

For more information please contact BT’s regional press office on 0800 085 0660

Notes to editors

• Crimestoppers is an independent charity which helps the police to solve crimes, making communities safer. It does this by operating the 24/7 telephone number 0800 555 111 which people can ring to pass on information about crimes anonymously. They can also use our ‘giving information’ form via our website www.crimestoppers-uk.org
• Around 22 people are arrested and charged every day as a result of information given to Crimestoppers.
• Since Crimestoppers began in 1988, it has received over a million actionable calls, resulting in over 120,000 arrests and charges. Over £125 million worth of goods has been recovered and over £292 million worth of drugs has been seized.
• In 2005, Crimestoppers launched the UK’s Most Wanted on its website which allows the public to view images of criminals and pass on vital information about their whereabouts. It has been highly successful with over 1,900 arrests to date.
• Crimestoppers UK was founded by Lord Ashcroft, KCMG PC, and Chairman of Trustees. In 1988, he launched Crimestoppers in the Metropolitan Police area. Crimestoppers’ ‘call to action’ is built on a three-way partnership between the business community, the police and the media.