A NATIONAL day of action against railway cable thieves has been called for today.

The thefts are on the increase and have become a major problem, causing chaos to the country’s transport system.

Numerous incidents have taken place in Kirklees recently, where cable thieves have caused major disruption to rail services. Huddersfield station almost ground to a halt a month ago after scrap metal thieves ripped up cabling near Mirfield.

The authorities are making an effort to clamp down on the crime. A man appeared before Huddersfield magistrates last week accused on stealing £27,000 worth of cabling. He is due to reappear before the court on November 4.

Det Insp Mick Jackson who leads British Transport Police’s dedicated cable team Operation Leopard said: “The simple truth is that cable thieves do not make huge amounts of money from the metal they steal.

“In fact, when you consider the risks thieves take it simply isn’t worth the effort.

“Metal theft in any form is an attack on communities, but when thieves target the railway they often have a significant impact on travellers. This is totally unacceptable.”