A 40-YEAR-OLD man Derby man caused four hours of train delays and £16,000 of damage after stealing cable from a theft 'hot spot' in Spondon.
Andrew Keith Martin was discovered next to the track wearing a camouflage jacket and with dirty hands after the British Transport Police were alerted to the area, near to Megaloughton Lane, by Network Rail following a signal failure.
Derby Crown Court was told how Martin, of Towpath Way, Spondon, claimed he had headed down to the area to investigate after seeing torches, but a police dog searched the area but there was no trace of anyone else.
Officers discovered three signalling cables in the area had been cut and approximately 80 metres of cable had been removed from the track and had been coiled up ready to be stolen.
Martin was arrested, searched and found in possession of three small cutting tools.
When interviewed he initially claimed he had been carrying them as he had been undertaking plumbing work for a friend, a claim that was later denied by that person.
He also told officers he had never visited a scrap metal dealer, but checks later revealed Martin had previously weighed in metals at a city firm.
PC Mark Horberry, from the British Transport Police, said: "There is a common assumption that cable theft is a victimless crime, with the only effects being felt by the railway industry.
"This is just not the case.
"Theft of cable can have a huge impact on the running of the rail network and thousands of passengers are inconvenienced by it every year.
"Stealing railway cable is incredibly dangerous.
"Thieves risk not only a prison sentence but also serious injury and death through electrocution.
"We have a team of dedicated officers who work 24 hours a day to tackle the theft of cable from our railways.
"The railway also has a network of alarms which notify us and Network Rail when cable is being tampered with or stolen.
"In this case our officers were notified and responded within minutes capturing Martin in the act.
"We hope that this case sends a strong message out to any would be thieves that the risk of being put behind bars or in a box is simply not worth it."
Martin was found guilty of theft, going equipped to steal and was sentenced to two years in prison
The court heard how officers from were alerted of the signal failure in the early hours on Wednesday, 17 September 2013.
It was told how the area had been a cable theft 'hotspot' for a while due to number of other thefts in the vicinity.
The theft caused over 253 minutes delay to the rail network in the Spondon area and cost the rail industry more than £16,600 in compensation and repairs,
Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail, said: "Through close working with BTP we have significantly reduced the cost and delay suffered by passengers at the hands of cable thieves.
"Despite this some individuals continue to target our railway for their own gain.
"This prosecution sends a clear message that we will protect our network and the service we give passengers to the full extent of the law.
"We are determined to make sure that cable theft from the railway is a crime which does not pay."
