'Power' vandals slammed

BALLYMENA Councillors have unanimously condemned the vandals who cut power to more than 1,000 homes in Ballykeel and Larne Road recently by damaging equipment at a switching site and hacking down an electricity pole.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Aug 2010, 14:41 BST
Updated 6th Aug 2010, 11:30 BST

According to NIE, the culprits broke into the switching site on July 27, damaged signage, interfered with equipment and broke off locks with a hatchet before cutting down an electricity pole with a live cable running up its centre.

When the incident was highlighted at last Monday night’s monthly meeting of Ballymena Borough Council, the Mayor, Cllr Maurice Mills said: “A warning has to go out from this council for the sake of their safety.

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“I was very dismayed by the whole thing, very saddened by it and the risk some of these people are taking. It just doesn’t add up”.

Cllr Beth Adger said: “This could have ended up with people in hospital or somebody killed”.

lethal

Cllr Paul Frew pointed out: “If you bring down a pole and a line was to hit a car, for instance, it could kill every single person in it or if it was to hit a nearby green where children were playing - it doesn’t bear thinking about”.

Councillor for the area, Martin Clarke said: “It is almost unbelievable that this happened.

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“They were young people - I don’t think they realised the danger of cutting down an electricity pole with a live wire running up the middle.

“It’s a big lot to do with the parents who don’t check where their children are or what time they are out to. It’s only a matter of time before someone is killed,” said Mr Clarke.

He added that “the talk on the ground” indicated those involved to be just 13 or 14 years of age.

He also alleged that “people know who done this”.

Cllr David Tweed joined with Cllr Clarke in appealing to anyone with such information to get in touch with the police “so this will never happen again”.

Related topics:Mayor