More homes hit in lead thefts spree
Angry...Geoff Rhodes outside his home on Stevens Street where thieves stole lead from his bay window. (Picture: Andrew Carpenter/001396-10)
A SPATE of lead thefts in a Harborough neighbourhood has been blamed on the street lights switch-off.
Residents living in the Logan Street area of town have called for some of the lights to be turned back on after thieves stripped lead from their roofs under cover of darkness.
Helen Herd (65), of Morley Street, had the lead stolen from her roof last Thursday night.
But not content with their haul, the thieves returned the following night while she was away and broke in, stealing jewellery, a TV and even sentimental gifts given to Mrs Herd by her late husband.
She told the Mail: “It’s horrible. I’m so angry. It’s made me afraid to go to bed at night.”
Stevens Street resident Geoff Rhodes’ home was also targeted on both Thursday and Friday nights, when lead was stolen from his bay windows.
He told the Mail: “It was happening three feet from where I was sleeping.
“I know there are worse things happening in the world, but it’s quite concerning really.
“It’s going to cost me more than £1,000 to fix.”
Mr Rhodes said he knew of at least four other homes in the area that had been targeted by the thieves in the last week.
The lead thefts come just two weeks after a resident in Gardiner Street woke up to find thieves attempting to steal lead from his roof, as reported in last week’s Mail.
Leicestershire County Council began its switch-off in the small hours of 1,518 street lights across the town last month.
“It’s funny that these crimes started after the lights were switched off, “ said Mr Rhodes.
“I accept they need to switch some lights off, but why not every other one? Logan Street is very well lit but others are in total darkness.”
The council says the switch-off in Harborough will save £23,000 a year.
But Logan Street resident Michael McMahon said: “It’s false economy. If they switched to halogen lights instead of switching lights off then the cost-saving over time would be enormous.”
The county council said that police had not reported increases in overnight crime in areas where lights had been turned off, adding it had actually fallen in some places.
“Whilst incidents of crime are distressing for the victims we do have to review the overall crime situation before making adjustments,” added a spokesman.
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Monday 21 May 2012
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