METAL thieves struck in Gateside near Beith in the early hours of Monday morning – removing live copper cable carrying 11,000 volts.
The electricity supply was cut off in the area from around 3am to 4.30pm the same day, when Scottish Power engineers replaced the cable.
A spokesperson for Scottish Power said: “These criminals show a staggering disregard for their own safety, that of the public and also our employees.
“Dangerous acts like this not only have the potential to cause serious injury but could also result in widespread loss of electricity supply to homes and businesses.
“It quite simply beggars belief that anyone would put their life on the line by interfering with thousands of volts of electricity to steal small amounts of cable with a minimal scrap value.”
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