'Dangerous' thefts of gully covers from Northampton streets in 48-hour spree condemned
Highways bosses have warned about the perilous state of Northampton roads where iron gully covers have been stolen.
The grilles stop large amounts of debris falling into drains at the roadside and several have been removed in streets around The Mounts, including Overstone Road. Some were simply dropped metres away and others were stolen.
The thefts began on Wednesday (January 16) with others happening on Thursday (January 17).
A spokesman for Northamptonshire Highways said on Friday: "[There's been a] spate of gully covers stolen or damaged in the last 48 hours - very dangerous and costs money to deal with.
"If you see anything please try and take details and report to us or Northants Police.
"Some are missing, others are just flung nearby - dangerous for all road uses and a total waste of money for us to repair or replace. It's even more alarming for cyclists."
The estimated cost of replacements are £500 but a BBC story on similar thefts in Reading said thieves were selling them for scrap for as little as £2 each.