Technology to tackle cable thefts (BBC News)
 

A remote-controlled helicopter is the latest weapon in the fight against cable thefts from railways in the North East.

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It's amazing the drastic risks minor criminals will go to. I couldn't believe it when my other half told me she had dealt with a guy in his 20's fried on a big national grid pylon last week, all for the sake of the copper cable. Madness.
Then again, with copper the price it is, and old 2p pieces being worth more than 2p in scrap, copper seems to be the new 'gold'.

I wonder if the idiot found out before he got fried that pylon cables are mostly steel and aluminium - no copper up there. :D

My sympathy for the emergency services people that had to clean up the mess afterwards. NO way I could do their job.

It took them half a day to get the pylon identified and made safe... so he was up there a long time.

If no copper, it could've been that he was after aluminium? That's worth a bit.