A man who stole metal from a railway depot in broad daylight has been sentenced to prison following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Frank Lane, 47, of Church Lane in Bedford, was handed a 23-week prison sentence at Cambridge Crown Court on 7 November, having previously pleaded guilty to theft.

The court heard that on Thursday 5 October 2023, just before 11am, Lane entered Bedford Railway Depot through a pedestrian gate carrying an angle grinder, clearly visible to the depot’s CCTV cameras. He then approached the cable storage area, carefully selecting a roll drum of cable before using the angle grinder to cut it free.

Lane rolled the drum, valued at approximately £2,000, down the street and loaded it into the back of a nearby white van displaying a false registration plate, before driving away.

Officers later viewed CCTV footage and obtained a clear image of Lane, leading to his arrest in February 2024. He was subsequently bailed before being formally charged in May 2024.

BTP’s investigating officer, PC Alex Charge, said:

"This conviction sends a clear message that dangerous, costly, and disruptive crimes such as cable theft will not be tolerated. Attempting to steal metal from the railway network or from depots can pose a serious risk of harm to the offender, and the costs incurred by the railway operator are passed on to the average commuter."

Dan Matthews, operations director at Network Rail, added:

"Cable theft - even from our depots - can delay our upgrade work to make services more reliable and means we can't respond as quickly when things go wrong. It also makes running the railway more expensive for taxpayers. We're delighted that British Transport Police has secured this conviction which shows we're working ever more closely together to protect trains and passengers from the effects of crime."

Image: British Transport Police