ST HELENS Council is appealing to the public to help them crack down on road grid cover thieves following a marked increase in this type of crime.

More than 100 cast-iron grid covers, known as gullies which help drain the rain water from the road surface, have been stolen from roads throughout the area in the last few months and council officials are now concerned that the loss could cause a potential hazard to the public and road users.

The theft of the gullies appears to be a growing problem in the area - last year, 50 were stolen from two roads - and to combat this, the council is now in the process of replacing the old style covers with lockable, heavy plastic ones.

IF you have any information about the thefts, you can contact the police in St Helens on 0151 777 6999. Alternatively, you can call the council's highway engineers at Wesley House on St Helens 456479.

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