Members of the telco’s Asset Recovery Team claimed back 4,000 metres of copper cable during a co-ordinated series of raids, plus 160 metres of fibreoptic cable.

United Utilities, Electricity Northwest and BT Openreach also sent teams on the raiding party. BT later said it had recovered £1,000 worth of equipment during the raids on scrap metal yards in and around the town.

Two men were later arrested on suspicion of theft, after police officers equipped with number plate recognition cameras identified their cars and pulled them over. An investigation is now ongoing.