Out on patrol

We will be carrying out helicopter patrols between Londonthorpe and Skillington, passing over the Alma Park area of Grantham tomorrow (Thursday 6th August).

Our helicopter out on patrol.

The helicopter will be used to spot any problems on the high voltage overhead network, after a component was damaged earlier in the week. The incident was consistent with having been caused by a third party, and has been reported to the police.

Checks are now being undertaken to ensure it was an isolated event. Rob Ballentine, WPD’s Grantham Team Manager said;

“Power lines carry extremely high voltages and interfering with them in any way is potentially lethal. It can put at risk the lives of our engineers who have to repair and replace them if they have been left in an unsafe condition. Similarly, other innocent people can become victims if the lines are brought down.”

Rob said safety is WPD’s number one priority and there was concern after the incident earlier in the week had resulted in some grassland catching fire.

“Such events can also be incredibly inconvenient for customers if they cause power cuts – especially for people relying on electricity for things like dialysis.

“Patrolling by helicopter to take a bird’s eye view, provides the fastest and most effective way to carry out checks on large sections of our network. Repair work can then be undertaken before it becomes a problem that risks disrupting customers’ power supplies.”

If you see our helicopters out on patrol in your area, don't forget to tweet us with #wpdspotted and your photos to @wpduk.