Reward offered as gang steal £60,000 copper: Bletchley Rail Depot
(MK3 - Thursday, 2 April, 2009)

British Transport Police (BTP) is hunting a ‘highly organised gang' who stole £60,000 of high-grade copper cable from a Bletchley Rail Depot last November.

A £1,000 reward could be paid through Crimestoppers for information leading to the conviction of one or more members of the gang.

The gang stole a lorry and heavy-duty forklift truck, and also used a white Transit van and Ford Mondeo, to carry out the raid during the early hours of Tuesday 25 November 2008.

At 11.00pm on Monday, 24 November, a silver Mondeo was used to reconnoitre the depot.

Fifty minutes later, at 12.20am on Tuesday, 25 November, the lorry was stolen from the Bleak Hall area of Milton Keynes.

Two hours later, the forklift truck was taken from Sherwood Drive, Bletchley.

The forklift was then used to wrench a security gate off the depot entrance and then load five drums of cable onto the lorry. The theft occurred shortly before 3am and took just 25 minutes.

‘This was a very well planned and executed operation,' commented Detective Inspector Ciaran Dermody from BTP's Organised Crime Team. Ciaran Dermody 

‘The lorry and forklift were stolen from nearby and needed considerable skill to operate, particularly in the relatively confined space around the depot.

'The actual theft was carried out with remarkable speed. We know that the thieves were on the Abbey Mead Industrial Estate in Waltham Abbey just before 5am, about an hour and half after the crime. The lorry was eventually recovered on 9 February this year.'

Police have released CCTV footage from the depot which shows the theft taking place.

‘Although faces and number plates are not identifiable, I think that anyone who knows these men will be able to recognize them. We would urge anyone with information to contact us immediately.' said DI Dermody.

‘The expertise with which this theft was carried out suggests that this gang may be responsible for other thefts and that is a line of inquiry we are pursuing.'

Anyone with information on the Bletchley theft is asked to contact BTP on 020 7391 5275.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Police Force: British Transport Police (BTP)

Address:
Bletchley Rail Depot
Milton Keynes
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
MK3