BT worker stole cable from exchanges

A FORMER BT worker stole metal cables from telephone exchanges around Oxfordshire more than 120 times.

For almost two years Edward Thomas, a BT Frames Operations Manager, sold the loot on for profit.

The 60-year-old of Bagley Close, Kennington, pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates Court on January 8 to three counts of theft by an employee, and three counts of concealing, disguising, converting, transferring or removing criminal property.

Between May 2010 and April 2012, he stole metal cable from various BT exchanges around Oxfordshire on more than 120 occasions.

He also requested to have 246 offences taken into consideration.

He was bailed to appear back at court for sentencing on February 1.

Det Insp Rodger Cartwright said: “This prosecution is another example of the ongoing activity conducted by Thames Valley Police under the banner of Operation Symphony into metal theft and associated crime.

“We will continue to investigate these offences and work alongside partner agencies in order to bring offenders to justice.”

Simon Davies, cable theft manager at BT Security, added: “BT has worked closely with the Thames Valley Police, providing surveillance intelligence to assist with the police’s operation.

“BT will not tolerate any level of criminal behaviour and we will continue to work with police and do everything possible to catch cable theft criminals.”

Comments(5)

EricTheRed says...
2:20pm Tue 15 Jan 13

that explains why my phone never works properly then...

John Lamb says...
4:06pm Tue 15 Jan 13

Steal copper and a copper will arrest you.

EricTheRed says...
4:24pm Tue 15 Jan 13

Now if only BT had invested in the 80's in introducing Fibre optic on ALL their network we would have the advantage of faster broadband speeds now, plus hardly any market for Half inching Copper Cable from BT Exchanges! How ironic.....

Plainview says...
6:53pm Tue 15 Jan 13

EricTheRed wrote:
Now if only BT had invested in the 80's in introducing Fibre optic on ALL their network we would have the advantage of faster broadband speeds now, plus hardly any market for Half inching Copper Cable from BT Exchanges! How ironic.....
BT invested millions of pounds in fibre during the 60's and 70's for the Trunk Network.

When they were privatised in the mid 80's they asked Thatcher and her regime to allow them to start rolling out a National Fibre Network to homes and businesses because they could see the potential long term benefits of it.

Because of the privatisation though the Thatcher regime refused BT's request and instead partially funded Independent Cable Operators so BT had competition.

BT then asked Blair in the late 90's but again the request was refused.

Now roll on 15 years and Cameron couldn't let BT lay the fibre quick enough.

AbingdonNewsHound says...
1:46pm Wed 16 Jan 13

this stems from the fibre refit. A BT employee told me there is enough copper in the ground to pay for a fibre network for the whole country

http://content.met.p
olice.uk/News/Metal-
-cable-theft-gang-bu
sted/1400013739234/1
257246745756

click2find

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