Copper pipe thieves are ‘stealing at will’
Disturbingly, the resident found a 'large knife' in the grass near the outbuilding
Copper thieves continue to plague homes and businesses.
Following last week’s destruction of air-conditioning units at the Garden Centre in Karel Landman Street – where thieves ripped out the copper piping – a Grey Street resident was awoken in the early hours of last Thursday by a noise he heard from the outhouse.
Upon investigating, he found that copper pipes had been hacked from the wall. The thieves appeared to have cleared a high fence to make good their getaway.
Disturbingly, the resident found a ‘large knife’ in the grass near the outbuilding, which he believes the men must have left behind in their haste to flee.
“I would not advise unarmed residents to confront these thieves. They came with a knife that I suspect would be used should a resident try and apprehend them,” the resident told the Courier.
Calls have again been made for the authorities to take stern action against the copper trade by clamping down on those who purchase stolen piping and cabling.
“If a guy comes to you with a hacked-out piece of copper and wants, say, R40 a kg, won’t you ask where it came from? Our town is under siege from these thieves and yet nothing seems to be done,” the resident fumed.
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