Warning issued following theft of drain covers

Shropshire Council has warned people to look out for – and report –  missing road drain covers following a spate of thefts around Shropshire in recent days.

Around 20 drain covers are known to have been stolen in Atcham, Alveley and Condover, and in Noneley and Tilley near Wem – costing around £4,000 to replace – and it’s possible that thefts may have occurred in other parts of the county too.

Richard Marshall, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said:

“Not only expensive to replace, missing covers also present a real danger to road users. Uncovered drains could easily lead to a fatality of a cyclist or motorcyclist and cause serious damage to cars and lorries.

“It costs us a minimum of £180 to replace each cover and, as most are emergency replacements, they normally cost us more than that.

“This irresponsible opportunism is costing us all money and putting lives at risk – it’s simply not acceptable. These thefts are taken very seriously and each one is reported to the police.”

If anyone notices anything suspicious or sees a missing drain cover, they should take down as many details as they can and report it to the council by calling 0345 678 9006, or reporting it online at https://improvingyourroads.shropshire.gov.uk/

Information can also be given to the anonymous Crimestoppers independent charity by calling 0800 555 111.