A power station at Betteshanger – which handles 132,000 volt electricity – was left unearthed when callous thieves stole copper.

The attack left visitors to the site near Deal facing the serious risk of being electrocuted if there had been a voltaic arc.

It was one of nearly 3,400 metal thefts in Kent since January last year – but has led to only 240 arrests.

Now a judge has sent a 20-year-old Elvington man to a young offenders' institution for three years for two attacks on UK Power’s station near Deal.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that former soldier Joshua McClean and another man drove a van to the station and stole 30 metres of earthing conductor, 30 metres of copper bar and 60 metres of tape.

But prosecutor Nicholas Hamblin said although the cost of replacing the cable was £750 – the thieves had caused far more damage.

He said the theft of the cable had left the station without an earth – causing a huge risk of the 132K volts arcing and could have led to deaths.

Mr Hamblin said specialists were called in and it cost the company £19,400 to make good the damage.

A month later, McClean, of Oak Grove, returned - this time with Kodey Miller, 22, of Riversdale Road, Ramsgate and the pair two stole 80 metres of copper piping used as a cooling system at the station.

Judge James O’Mahony told them: “The theft of metal is a very common offence. It can cause damage, upset and actual, loss.

“I have been told by the police that in Kent from January 1 2012 to today there had been 3,381 thefts of metal.

“But this case has a serious aspect because this theft of copper was far more significant than just the amount of money involved.

“It endangered staff and visitors to the site by increasing the risk of them facing an electric shock – as well as the defendants placing themselves at risk.”

He said McClean and another man had cut padlocks to break in to steal the copper from wires used to earth equipment carrying the massive voltages.

“This theft of copper was far more significant than just the amount of money involved... It endangered staff and visitors to the site by increasing the risk of them facing an electric shock" - Judge O'Mahony

Experts were brought in with emergency equipment to make the compound safe because of fears the 132K volts could arc “which might prove fatal if contact was made”.

McClean, who had previously received police cautions for 15 other thefts, pleaded guilty to four charges of theft and causing criminal damage.

The court heard McClean had served for two years with the Prince of Wales Regiment until he was invalided out.

The judge told them that although the second theft of piping hadn’t posed a similar threat – neither of them was aware of that and had been reckless.

A pre-sentence report, prepared by a probation officer, recommended the two receive community orders for their crimes.

But Judge O’Mahony said: “I find that suggestion wholly unrealistic because this was a targeted power site and what McClean did was reckless and could have caused injury or death.”

Miller, who had admitted theft and causing criminal damage, was jailed for a year.