Thieves hunting for scrap metal have been blamed or damaging the town’s flood defences.
The Environment Agency’s dam which is upstream of Spring Gardens in West Auckland, works by storing water during high river flows, then releasing it slowly. It protects 660 properties in and around Bishop Auckland from flooding from the River Gaunless. It was fasttracked by the Environment Agency following the floods in 2000.
Metal hinges and catches were stolen from the gate of the dam, causing damage of around £3,000.
Agency Operations Delivery Team Leader Paul Constantine said, “I’m shocked that people would put others in danger to steal hinges which are probably just sold as scrap.
“The frustrating thing is that the cost to repair the damage far outweighs the value of the stolen metal, and the bill has to be picked up by the taxpayer.”
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
