METAL thieves left a village in darkness.

Residents in Broad Town, near Wootton Bassett, were plunged into darkness last Tuesday after vandals damaged a generator supplying power to 60 homes.

Villagers were left with no power overnight while police investigated the theft of copper cables and engineers worked to restore the supply.

Southern Electric spokeswoman Morven Smith said: "Some of our customers in Broad Town are being supplied by a generator because we are carrying out maintenance on overhead lines.

"When engineers got out there, it appeared to have been completely vandalised and bits made of copper had been stolen.

"The police were notified and officers were on-site with our engineers. About 60 properties were without power from the time the generator was vandalised at about 11.15pm until Wednesday morning.

"Because the police are investigating we had to let them carry out their investigation and forensic tests before the supply could be restored."

Last week Wiltshire Police launched Operation Herald to clamp down on metal theft.

A special team of officers will work to stop gangs believed to be responsible for stealing valuable metal, including gas pipes, copper and bronze statues and even church lightning conductors.

Acting Detective Inspector Lindsey Winter, who is leading Operation Herald, said: "Organised criminal groups operating at a national level are carrying some of the larger thefts out. Wiltshire Police have recorded a significant increase in offences and opportunistic crimes.

"Thefts of copper piping have become such a popular item among thieves because of the ease by which they are sold.

"We aim to work with local scrap metal dealers to remind them of their responsibilities when it comes to accepting metal from the public and introduce crime reduction campaigns to raise awareness and provide prevention advice and guidance to the public."

Anyone with information about metal theft should contact the Operation Herald team on 0845 408 7000 or email operationherald@wiltshire.pnn.police.uk.