Kent Police have told all drivers and cyclists in Kent to be on alert after close to 200 drain covers have been thieved literally from the streets in the past few weeks.
Local councils have said that they aim to cover up any uncovered manholes within two hours of reported thefts.
Kent County Councillor Bryan Sweetland told the BBC: " These are mindless and irresponsible thefts."
Almost 300 metal thefts are reported to Kent Police every month, which is a 25% rise from last year. These include stolen parts of church roofs, telephone cables, and even a promenade handrail.
Chief Superintendent Steve Corbishley told the BBC: "It's a classic market-driven crime, so as the value of metal goes up, unfortunately so do the offences."
Ian Hetherington of the British Metal Recycling Association said: ""Metals theft is a real problem for the metals industry. To combat this we are working with the Association of Chief Police Officers and industries, including telecommunications, railways, utilities and construction that use products containing valuable metals."
BBC News Kent - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-14442307
Kent Police - www.kent.police.uk/
British Metal Recycling Association - www.recyclemetals.org/
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