Police this afternoon appealed for information after copper cabling was dug up and stolen from the side of the A415 in Culham.

Crime reduction adviser Mark Bradfield said the theft happened on Tuesday. He said: “There have also been other occasions recently when metal has been stolen including from Manor County Infants School in Didcot between August 23 and 26.

“Theft of metal is not just an increasing problem in Oxfordshire but is happening at a national level. This type of theft does not only affect the victims but also the community as it can increase contents and buildings insurance premiums dramatically.

"We are working hard to catch those responsible and are making regular visits to scrap metal dealers to try and catch the thieves by identifying stolen materials. It is also important that if any members of the public see people in suspicious or unusual circumstances carrying out work on properties or roof tops then they could be interfering with lead or metal piping.

“I would like to appeal for members of the public to be extra vigilant and to report any suspicious incidents or people to the police - If you see people working on a roof at night then this could be suspicious, so let us know.

“It is not unusual for the theft of lead from roofs not to be noticed until it rains when considerable damage is caused by leaking roofs.”

Anyone who sees any suspicious behaviour or has any information should contact the police via 0845 8 505 505, or if you don’t want to talk to the police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.