THIEVES have stolen thousands of pounds of copper cable from two properties near Selby and left homes without power.

The first incident involved the theft of what police called “a large amount” of copper cable from a compound on The Maltings Industrial Estate, in Whitley.

The drum containing about £5,000 worth of cable was stolen from an open air storage compound at the industrial estate in Whitley Bridge between 6.30pm last Friday and 7am on Monday.

A police spokesman said thieves entered and left the compound by a path that runs alongside a canal next to the industrial estate.

PC Kimberley Copestake, of Selby Police, said: “Due to the size and weight of the cable that was stolen as well as the difficulty the thieves would have had moving the drum to a road vehicle, it is possible that they may have used a boat to transport it away from the site.

“I would like to speak to anyone who either witnessed the theft or may have seen people acting suspiciously in the area during the weekend and ask that they contact the police straight away.”

Police were alerted to the second incident, in Hemingbrough, at about 10am yesterday, after a YEDL engineer reported the theft of overhead cables from electricity poles.

A police spokesman said 420 metres of uncoated 35mm copper cable was stolen from live poles in Hull Road and Water Lane in the early hours of the morning.

The thefts meant some residents in the area lost power to their homes, and a spokesman for CE Electric UK said power was likely to be restored by 7pm.

Anyone with information about either of the thefts should phone North Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060247, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 500111.