by Keith Hunt

Three men have been jailed for stealing high voltage power and signalling cables on the railway and endangering lives.

Peter Taylor, 53, and Stuart Smith, 28, were each jailed for six years and 49-year-old Peter Penn was sentenced to five years.

A judge told them: "Society simply cannot tolerate such a serious attack on what is an essential service.

"Part of the intention in passing sentence is to deter those minded to commit this sort of offence for the protection and safety of the public.

"The lives of your fellow human beings were endangered. These offences have the potential to lead to quite unnecessary risks to human life."

The thefts cost Network Rail thousands of pounds. The bill for replacement materials was £65,000 and fines totalling almost £160,000 were imposed for disruption to rail services.

Taylor and Smith, both of Churchfield, Snodland, denied conspiracy to steal and damaging property being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Penn, also of Churchfield, admitted the charges.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the thefts took place in the Snodland area over an eight-month period between December 2007 and August last year and even continued after the three were arrested and bailed.