Vandals dicing with death

VANDALS are putting their lives at risk by targeting electrical installations in Sussex.

A recent example of such vandalism was carried out on the Seeboard sub-station that serves electricity to homes and businesses in Horam, Warbleton, Rushlake Green, Cowbeech and Vines Cross.

More than 650 customers lost electrical supplies for several hours after vandals badly damaged the facility, but a Seeboard spokesman said that the consequences could have been much more serious for the vandals themselves.

They probably don t know it, but electricity can jump gaps, said Jim Tame, managing director of Seeboard Power Networks. If they get into an electricity sub-station, they are risking electric shock and serious burns.

Our equipment is perfectly safe as long as it s left alone but tampering with it can be lethal. I am not being over dramatic when I say they could be maimed or killed.

Seeboard officials were unwilling to go into detail about the types of damage that vandals inflict upon installations, but said that it ranges from lighting fires in sub-stations to shooting air rifles at overhead power lines.

A spokesman said there are numerous incidents like these every year, and that they cost the energy company and its customers thousands of pounds in repair bills.

Even if no customers were affected and no damage was done, it would still be a very serious matter, said the spokesman. Anyone who invades sub-station space or gets near to electrical installations that are clearly marked with warning signs is at great danger.

We have Danger of Death signs, locked gates, high fences and razor wire to discourage and stop people getting into the stations, yet these people still persist in breaking in.

As well as the obvious dangers and expense of such vandalism, these incidents can cause inconvenient power interruptions which may take hours to repair.

Readers who see, or who have seen, anyone acting suspiciously near an electrical installation should contact Sussex Police on 0845 60 70 999 or the Seeboard 24-hour emergency helpline on 0800 783 8866.