Road users warned as council reports theft of 20 drain covers
Shropshire Council has warned motorists that a number of drain covers have been stolen, sparking fears of injury or damage to road users and their vehicles.
The council has said thieves had taken 20 drain covers in Atcham, Alveley and Condover, as well as in Noneley and Tilley near Wem, but it’s possible that thefts may have occurred in other parts of the county too.
The total cost to the Council to replace the drain covers is set to be around £,4,000. The authority has reported the thefts to the police.
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.”
A spokesperson for Shropshire Council added: "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 improvingyourroads.shropshire.gov.uk"
