Thurrock’s roads have recently been targeted by thieves, stealing road gully gratings for their scrap metal value. In recent weeks Thurrock Council has identified the theft of approximately 250 gully gratings from various locations across the borough, but may now have found an ingenious solution to foiling the thieves.
The thefts are putting an unnecessary drain on the already limited council resources allocated for the maintenance of roads and pavements, and the thieves leave behind them a potentially dangerous situation – the holes left by these thefts present a serious safety risk for highways users. The Council’s Highway Department has already replaced 120 of the missing gully gratings and if the thefts continue at the current rate, the cost of replacing them could be in the region of £140,000.
Cllr Yash Gupta, Portfolio Holder for Environment, has asked Thurrock residents to be vigilant and report missing covers to the Council. “I would urge local residents to be mindful of the number of gully covers that have been stolen. The theft of these gully covers puts local people and communities at risk and I would urge residents to report missing covers to the Council and to report any suspicious activity to the police.”
In the meantime, the council’s highways and street services departments may possibly be able to limit the impact these thefts are having. Trials of new Envirogrates, are being tested and will be introduced in the coming months if they prove successful. Envirograte is a made from a unique composite recycled material. Because it’s not made of metal, there’s little danger the grates will be stolen for resale. The grates are strong, having been designed to take the weight of heavy goods vehicle, they can be cut to size and even be sealed in with silicon sealant to further prevent theft or vandalism.
The Council is working with the police on the theft of metal, including highways signs which is likely to cost the Council an additional £16,000 to replace. The police are currently investigating a report that a vehicle involved in a road traffic accident was found to be carrying gully gratings. If you are aware of any gullies missing from the highway, whether there is a hazard caused or not, please telephone (01375) 366100
