NI Water is appealing for the assistance of the community after the discovery of unauthorised access and theft at Altnahinch Water Treatment Works in Loughguile.

Some incidents can potentially have very serious implications for the communities served by the facilities such as an interruption to the water supply or out-of-sewer flooding.

Emil Wylie of NI Water commented: "This latest incident at Altnahinch Water Treatment Works saw damage to the perimeter fence and the theft of diesel.

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"Unfortunately, vandalism is an all too common problem at some of our sites. All our facilities provide an essential service for the community, so any damage impacts on service delivery by NI Water. The cost is also a factor, and this creates a drain on resources that could be better used to improve services.

"We are also very worried about the risks to personal safety. NI Water takes all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of our site, but we would point out that our working sites should only be accessed by trained and qualified personnel. I would call on those who are involved in vandalism and unauthorised access to desist immediately before they cause injury to themselves or a severe incident in their own local community."

(CD/JP)