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JUST the job: Tameside Council’s Mike Collins with one of the replacement plastic grids which are being fitted to drains whose metal covers have been stolen
JUST the job: Tameside Council’s Mike Collins with one of the replacement plastic grids which are being fitted to drains whose metal covers have been stolen
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Thefts no longer a draining problem


16/ 7/2008

IMAGINATIVE council bosses have decided plastic fantastic is the only way to stop pouring money down the drain.

Last year 145 metal grids were stolen from Tameside roads costing the council £32,000 to replace.

So when highways bosses heard about plastic grids, they were keen to sign up.

"We go to meetings with all the local authorities every 12 months and it was being discussed there. The drainage section went to Wigan to see them," said highways engineer Mike Collins.  "They’re made from a plastic composite material with fibre glass.  To replace the metal ones would cost £300 with the labour about £120.  The plastic ones cost £70 including labour."

Despite only trading in for around £4 scrap, reports of grid thefts have risen by around 7,000 per cent in Tameside going from the odd one of two to a massive 145 last year with 32 stolen in one night from the Lewis Road area of Droylsden.

Mike added: "In the last 12 months there’s been quite a lot being stolen. We tried to get it in the press and went on the radio to tell residents to keep their eyes open if they notice anything strange going on but it’s probably not something people look at — if they notice men in hi vis jackets throwing them in the back of vans they probably wouldn’t realise they were stealing them.  We spoke to scrap yards as well. We no longer replace grids with metal, we use plastic.  Obviously it’s a deterrent to stop people coming back and pinching them again and they’re more than adequate to do the job on light traffic roads."

Police believe demand for metal in India and China is forcing prices up and seeing school and church roofs and even memorial plaques being stolen in Tameside.


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Most recent 2 of 2 user comments

   Working for a utility company alongside many of the councils in the Greater Manchester area, I can confidently say that Tameside Council Highway Dept is an example to them all - the author of the previous comment from Stalybridge should be proud of them!!
Bernard Murphy
23/07/2008 at 19:24
   It's our money thats paying for these,not the ruddy concils and surely we are being robbed twice.£32.000 for 145 grid covers its a joke.Perhaps someone from the correct department would be kind enough to break down these figures for all to see.
frustrated of stalybridge
17/07/2008 at 19:58
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