Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

I read this site avidly but never post as i do not have enough enlightening knowledge of heritage railways.
But it is this attitude by the authorities that leads to the death of their own...the likes of PC Andrew Harper.
It makes my blood boil.

 

Well, we will never know as it appears the theft has not been reported to the police. No chance of an honest scrappie (there are some ! ) spotting the stuff either as they will not know about the theft. I wonder what the Railway's insurers will make of it.

 

If it is not reported there will be no crime number and without a crime number, no insurance payout.

 

My point, exactly. Even if a claim is not going to be made the insurers still need to be informed of the theft and are likely to question why it has not been reported.

 

I saw that, and regretted the petty insinuation

Were one to replace the phrase "a certain mobile community" with any description of any other community it would rightly be condemned for what it is. The ability to plan such an operation, possess equipment required to break in and access to the vehicles needed to remove the items isn't restricted to any one community.

If you or the CVR have evidence, tell the police.

Patrick

 

The phrasing of the original press release was specific. Following subsequent discussions, we have issued the following:
https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/news/theft-response

A huge thanks to those that have offered support (both financial and technical). The NSRC had received over £1500 last time I logged in, and a plan is being formulated for improvements. We will be following up the numerous offers in the coming days.

 

A fine sentiment. You are quite right. Maybe the CVR and myself got the wrong end of the wrong stick.

 

£1943 donated as of 08:00 this morning, giving us £2300 with the addition of Gift Aid. Thanks to everyone who has supported, now to organise the installation of all the equipment needed...

 

If i am right in thinking that the equipment is a lever frame then it should be quite easy to recognise and prove ownership if seen in a scrap yard but if the crime has not been logged as a theft with the police then since no crime has been committed it would be impossible to recover as it legally belongs to the scrap man where ever it came from. Personally I suspect that this would have been taken by the same people who allegedly stole the ground frame from Cauldon Lowe and it is also interesting that no attempt was made to steal the replcement that now sits at Ipstones loop which would not have the same none scrap value.

 

No honest scrappy would know what the kit was or where it came from, surely it is up the volunteers to go around the yards and have a look, it should be fairly easy to prove where it came from but if a theft has not been reported you have no right to claim it back.

 

hhgghg

 

That is rubbish, if your house gets burgled the Police are not going to advise you not to report it as a theft - that is your decision.

 

How would a scrap yard know that this was railway equipment?

 

According to the press release its not worth reporting the theft of thousands of pounds worth of signalling equipment although the railway says it will continue to deal with tressapassers who are committing a criminal offence.

 

If i am right in thinking that the equipment is a lever frame then it should be quite easy to recognise and prove ownership if seen in a scrap yard but if the crime has not been logged as a theft with the police then since no crime has been committed it would be impossible to recover as it legally belongs to the scrap man where ever it came from. Personally I suspect that this would have been taken by the same people who allegedly stole the ground frame from Cauldon Lowe and it is also interesting that no attempt was made to steal the replcement that now sits at Ipstones loop which would not have the same none scrap value.

 

My point wasn't that a scrappie would know it was railway equipent, more that the thieves would probably not be too keen to leave an audit trail, so would want cash in hand rather than a BACS payment to thejr bank account.

And as I understand it, scrappies have to note their customers and pay via bank payment, hence the thought that the property might be hard to sell on.

 

Whether a crime has been recorded or not, the theft of property is still a crime. The hypothetical scrapman would not have valid title to the goods, and it would legally be recoverable.

It may however be that the lack of a record of the crime would make identification of it as stolen property, or recovery of it once identified, more difficult.


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If the the scrapman had no grounds for suspicion there is no reason why he would not issue a BACS payment or even a cheque.

 

If this equipment was the Alsager East frame Then positive identification would be very easy because this type of locking is so rare it could not have come from anywhere else so the volunteers need to do a tour of scrapyards and they will have a good chance of finding it.

 

I know. That was not the point I was making. My point is that the thieves would not want to accept payment that way.

Say the frame was identified, then if payment had been made to a bank account, the culprit would be bang to rights.