NEARLY 300 homes were left without power after cable thieves struck at an electricity substation in Tyneside.

The incident happened on Thursday night in the Wallsend area of North Tyneside.

A length of cable was stolen from a substation in High Street East, leaving 280 properties without power yesterday.

Engineers from Northern Power Grid were at the scene throughout the day repairing the damage and providing residents with advice.

A spokesman from the company said the market value of the stolen cable was only around £30 but the cost to repair the damage would run into thousands of pounds.

He added: “We had a whole army of engineers at the scene working to repair the damage.

“We also had a customer support van to provide advice to residents affected in the area, especially elderly and vulnerable people.

“The cable that was taken would only have a market value of a few pounds, but the repairs are going to cost thousands. This has caused a lot of inconvenience for residents.

“In addition, the thieves have put themselves and potentially innocent people in danger.

“They are tampering with live cables carrying thousands of volts. And they are risking the safety of others by leaving a substation with live equipment insecure until our engineers arrive on scene.”

A similar incident took place in Byker, Newcastle, on Sunday night, when 200 homes were left in darkness.

Northern Powergrid has joined with Northumbria Police and Crimestoppers to appeal for information after thieves smashed their way into an electricity substation in Newcastle causing extensive damage and cutting power to 200 homes.

The thieves broke through a brick wall into the substation at the junction of Walker Road and Bolam Way in Byker. Once inside, they stole a substantial amount of cable.

Nigel Walker, Northern Powergrid’s Vulnerable Assets Manager said: “This was a reckless and dangerous attack on one of our substations, leaving local residents without power for a considerable period.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Northumbria Police on 101, Northern Powergrid on 0800 668877 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

It is not known whether the same offenders are behind the Wallsend vandalism.