COCKSURE thieves who stole telephone cable cutting off a city housing estate had a second bite at the cherry because of a communication breakdown between police and BT engineers.

This week we reported how much of St Peter’s in Worcester was left without telephone and broadband services after thieves stole 350 metres of high-value underground copper cable at about 1.30am on Tuesday.

Now, a farmer has come forward saying the thieves discarded a 180 metre-long section of the cable in a field next to where they pulled it out of the ground.

Despite calling West Mercia Police at 2pm on Tuesday, and telling both them and BT repair engineers about the discarded cable, nobody recovered it.The police say there was so much cable, they had to call in BT Openreach to move it.

BT told officers they would collect the cable, but before they could it appears thieves went back to the field between 7pm and 9.15pm on the Tuesday.

A BT engineer did turn up at the field the next day but it was too late, and the cable was gone. The farmer, who declined to be named, said it beggared belief neither the police nor BT had moved fast enough to get the cable.

He found the discarded copper line lying in his field, after finding the steel field gate crushed by a vehicle.

“I rang the police and they said that an officer would be in touch, but by 4.50pm I’d heard nothing so I called them again,” the farmer said. “Meanwhile I had fixed up the gate. I went and spoke with the BT engineer and he said someone would come and get the cable.

“I left at 7pm, but at 9.15pm my wife was driving by and saw the gate was wide open.

“The next morning the BT bloke was in the field, looking for the cable – but it was gone.”

He said it looked like thieves had broken in, then taken the cable out of a covered underground hole located next to the A4440.

They then threaded it through a gap in the field’s hedge – hiding themselves from the road – and pulled the cable out by driving around the field.

“I bet they thought it was Christmas when they came back and found the other piece was still there,” said the farmer.

“What’s more, the BT engineers were working all night right nextdoor to the field but the other side of the hedge.

“So they [the thieves] must have gone in the field with the BT guys just a few yards away – the cheeky bleeders.”

A police officer had still not contacted the farmer by yesterday morning but West Mercia Police apologised for the “oversight” and said they would be contacting him directly.

Inspector Sean Kent, area police commander, said they had recovered a suspect pair of bolt cutters and other clues and investigations were ongoing.

He confirmed the farmer had called about the cable at 2pm.

“Due to the quantity [of cable] involved it was clear there was more than could be recovered by our usual means, and so a call was made to BT and arrangements made for them to collect the cabling using their equipment,” said Insp Kent.

“BT Openreach stated they would contact the farmer and arrange collection. Unfortunately no recovery was made that day and the cabling was taken during the night.”

In recent months West Mercia Police have carried out a high-profile crackdown to tackle metal thefts, carrying out raids, and making arrests under Operation Livewire.

Anyone who say anything suspicious in or around the field is urged to call police on 0300 3333000, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.