More than £90,000 worth of copper wire has been stolen from British railways over the past six weeks, Network Rail has revealed.

The company said it is working alongside the British Transport Police to catch the criminals and have called on the public to help.

It is believed the power, signalling and communications wire is being stolen to order then sold abroad as part of an international criminal enterprise.

Train passengers have been asked to report anything suspicious on the West Coast main line between Crewe, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford.

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Karl Weller, Network Rail section manager based at Stafford, said the cost to taxpayers to replace the stolen copper wire in the past weeks is now approaching £300,000.

"When signalling cables are removed the signalling and telecommunication systems of the railway do not work and trains can't run," he said.

"The impact on customers will get worse if these thieves are not caught.

"If you see anything suspicious - gates left open, non-railway staff on the tracks, suspicious vehicles, fences removed and the like - while travelling on the West Coast main line and branch lines in the area, particularly between Crewe, Stoke and Stafford, please call the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, alternatively call Network Rail on 03457 114141."

Chief Inspector Andrea Graham of British Transport Police said: "We are doing everything in our power to track down these criminals who are causing the travelling public delays during the busy holiday season."

(LM)