Thieves stealing copper from power cables in Hawke's Bay are putting the community in serious danger, lines company Unison says.
A sharp increase in copper theft from earth cables on Unison's network was causing concern, the company said.
The cables were vital to keep the network safe, Unison acting people, safety and culture general manager Rachel Masters said.
"By tampering with these cables, they not only endanger themselves and the public, but also put Unison's staff and contractors at risk of electrocution," Masters said.
Earth cables are designed so the company can shut off power if there is a problem, such as a power line coming into contact with the ground.
"The earth cable is a crucial safety feature that ensures our protective devices work properly, and over the last two months we've found 35 missing from our power poles, which is over a 1000 percent increase on the previous months," Masters said.
She called on the community to report suspicious activity and any damage to power poles or boxes.
"Electricity can kill and interfering with the network puts everyone at risk.
"We need to spread the message that stealing copper in this way is incredibly dangerous and reckless," she said.
RNZ.
