Scrap thieves target dozens of street lights

The Minister said the cost of replacing stolen cables - 61 in the Northern Division which includes Londonderry - and repairing the associated damage is estimated to be in the region of £330,000.

SDLP MLA Colum Eastwood said the problem was rife in Londonderry were dozens of street lights have been attacked.

“Can the Minister give us a geographical breakdown of the locations of the thefts?” asked Mr Eastwood.

“He mentioned a figure of 76. I could probably take him to 76 lamp posts in Derry that have been attacked. A geographical breakdown would be great.”

Mr Kennedy replied: “We will not ask for a DNA readout from the Member. That was a joke, by the way, just in case the Justice Minister is in any way interested.

“There have been 76 cases, as I said, mostly in the northern and western divisions. There have been around 61 cases in the northern division of Roads Service and 15 in the western division.

“Clearly, it represents a serious challenge. I am happy to say that neither the eastern nor southern divisions have been affected to date.”

The Roads Minister said he was worried about providing too much detail on preventative measures because criminals watch the BBC.

“I am always cautious about giving out such information because it is not only law-abiding people who watch ‘Stormont Live’ or see these debates.

“It is an issue that we will concentrate on in the areas most affected at this point. Any assistance that the Member and his colleagues can give will be greatly appreciated,” he said.