Telephone cable stolen near Milltown

Gardaí in Cavan are appealing to anyone with information regarding the theft of a quantity of telephone cable stolen near Milltown last week.

The theft occurred in the townland of Lisnamaine over the night of Thursday-Friday, January 20-21.

"If you saw suspicious activity in or around the Belturbet to Milltown road over that night, please contact Ballyconnell Gardaí on 049-9525580."

A spokesperson added, in a post shared online: "We would also like to ask members of the public to please be vigilant for such activity late at night and, if you come across discarded cable casing, to please report it to your local garda station."

The Milltown theft of cable is the latest to hit the region after a large number of Moynalty householders were left with no phone or internet over the Christmas period after a large amount of telecommunications cable was stolen from local poles.

Around the same period, December 21, cable was removed from infrastructure in the Drumboat area near Carrickmacross.

In November wire was stolen from a location outside of Carrickmacross in the townland of Monaltyduff; and over the Halloween weekend 2021, wire was taken from poles in the townland of Leeg.

Thieves also took cables from the area of Lisduff, Ballybay, in September, and before that again in June-July, when copper wire was stolen in the townlands of Aughrim More, Donaghmoyne and Mullaghrafferty and Moylough in Magheracloone.

Eir has criticised those behind the recent spate of thefts, the company saying the ongoing incidents are "having a detrimental impact on people, homes and communities".

Una Stafford, managing director, said: "The destructive nature of these crimes can have far reaching consequences. We need our telecommunications infrastructure to stay connected and this is even more important for those people living in rural locations, for older people and for people who are medically vulnerable."