Theft of fire hydrant lids in Carnlough

To date, over 10 fire hydrant covers have been stolen from various locations around the village.

NI Water representative, Ivan Graham, said the theft of the covers poses a serious risk to road users who may drive over the exposed hole in the road.

He added: “Those involved are simply after a quick way to make money by selling the lids as scrap metal. However, the amount they would receive for these lids is minimal, certainly not worth the price of a life or a serious injury if someone has an accident as a result of these thefts.

“Fire hydrants are there to provide the NI Fire and Rescue Service with a source of water in the event of a fire. Any tampering with these hydrants is potentially dangerous and illegal.

“We need the public to support us and would appeal to them to report any suspicious activity to the local PSNI or to Waterline on 08457 440088.”

He added that while the thief may only receive a small amount of money for the metal, it costs NI Water thousands of pounds to replace and repair the damage caused.