Community concerned as gully grid thefts increase by a scary 500 per cent in the Black Country
The theft of metal drain grates has skyrocketed in a Black Country borough by 500 per cent, a Freedom of Information request revealed.
Walsall has been revealed as one of the areas hardest hit by gully grid bandits in the last few years, with numbers showing an increase in thefts of more than 500 per cent in one year.
The numbers come after a Freedom of Information request by the Express & Star, asking how many of the metal grids had been illegally removed since 2018.
Figures show that in 2021, 59 gully grids were taken from Walsall's streets, resulting in costs of £15,941 for replacements, whereas in 2022, 462 were taken, resulting in costs of £135,639 for replacements.
Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council, said: "It's an absolute disgrace, it's a disgrace. What annoys me is the people who are receiving these know that they are council property. If it looks like a gully grid and it has our initial on it, it's ours.
