No, not a post in support of our boys in blue (though I’ll probably do one of those soon). This is actually a genuine public service announcement. It is the text of an email that has been going round council officers – this one from Westminster.
“BT have informed me of fake utility companies that have been operating in the South East and they have reason to believe may be moving into London.With prices for copper at record levels there is incentive for criminal gangs to start removing phone-cables from the highway to sell the component parts.
BT say that they are aware of at least one group by name: “CableTec”. It seems that CableTec operate very professional looking gangs with modern, sign-written, vehicles at each location they hit. They even put up the correct signing and guarding, and wear proper PPE. [I think this means hi-vis jackets and the like - so they look like proper workmen/police/shoplifters.]
If anyone sees this group working … then their activity should be reported to the Streetworks Team and the Police. THEY MUST NOT BE APPROACHED AS THEY ARE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS. BT report that they have had their gangs being robbed, elsewhere in the country, by operatives for this group, and the CableTec guys are often “armed” with potential weapons such as metal pipes.
Any other suspicious activity relating to streetworks should also be reported to [your local council]”
I’m just waiting for the first BBC headline reporting the phenomenon and blaming it on Climate Change.
