Bus stops are being targeted by thieves who are dismantling them for their scrap metal.
Police were alerted to the trend of pole-pinching after a steel bus stop on Tyneside was hacked down. The timing coincides with previous years when dozens of bus stops have disappeared from streets.
It also coincides with a wider trend of metal-grabbing, including lead lining being removed from homes and churches in Gateshead. Now police have started tagging the potential targets with SmartWater.
The town’s neighborhood Inspector Michael Robson, said: “The bus stop, which has sparked this proactive action was cut down from its position on Blaydon Bank, Blaydon. We believe this crime could not have been committed without a considerable amount of noise being made. We would ask anyone who might have heard something, or noticed someone in the area, to contact us.
“In the meantime we have taken the decision to apply SmartWater to bus stops and alerted all of the scrap yards in the region to the possibility someone could attempt to sell them the metal. The forensic coding in SmartWater means we can quickly and accurately locate and trace any stolen goods.”
A Nexus spokesman said: “We are busy tagging poles with SmartWater in case thieves are thinking of striking again. In the past we have had up to a dozen poles stolen in quick succession and we don’t want this to happen again. While the poles themselves are worth very little to a thief, its unpleasant for someone to get to their bus stop in the morning to find the pole gone, and can leave them feeling unsafe in their own community. We also end up having to pay for a new pole, the ‘flag’ on the top, the timetable case and the cost of putting it up. That’s why we and Northumbria Police take this issue seriously.”