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Rotherham farm dairy cows 'in agony' after cable theft Rotherham farm dairy cows 'in agony' after cable theft
(about 3 hours later)
A farmer was left with a herd of 85 cows that "desperately" needed milking after thieves stole copper cable from an overhead electricity wire. A farmer was left with a herd of 85 cows "desperately" needing milking after thieves stole copper cable from an overhead electricity wire.
Helen Smith's animals were not milked for 17 hours after the overnight theft affected Brecks Lane farm in Rotherham.Helen Smith's animals were not milked for 17 hours after the overnight theft affected Brecks Lane farm in Rotherham.
Although power was restored at 15:00 BST, Ms Smith said the cutting of cables had caused damage to equipment which cools the milk. Power was restored to the farm at about 15:00 BST and milking began shortly afterwards.
She said: "Potentially now we've got all this milk which will go to waste." Ms Smith said: "The cows would have been in agony because of being so full with milk."
Ms Smith said the animals were usually milked every eight hours. 'Every penny counts'
She said they were last milked on Wednesday night and had been due to be milked again at 06:00 BST but that was not possible because of the overnight theft. The animals are usually milked every eight hours, she said.
She said: "The cows would have been in agony because of being so full with milk." The cows were last milked on Wednesday night and had been due to be milked again at 06:00 BST but that was not possible because of the overnight theft, said Ms Smith.
The animals have now been milked but Ms Smith said if permanent damage had been caused to some of the equipment, the milk would have to be disposed of. Ms Smith's mother Olga Smith, also a farmer, said the effect of the theft was estimated so far to have cost the business £10,000.
"I've got nowhere to cool the milk at the moment. "Every penny counts. Farmers are having a tough enough time as it is," she said.
"I'm waiting to see whether it can be fixed but potentially we'll have to get a waste disposal company in to get rid of the milk which could cost me up to £3,000." Mark Hickling, from Northern Power Grid, said the thieves had risked their lives to steal the copper cable.
Ms Smith's mother and farmer Olga Smith said the effects of the theft was estimated so far to cost the business £10,000. "They're up in the air about 30ft (9.1m), they've cut them live and then they've stolen some of the cable and left others hanging down - still live. It's really serious," he said.
"Every penny counts. Farmers are having a tough enough time as it is."