Rail line theft 'could have caused crash'
Bristol Evening Post: 04 June 2008
A thief who used a crane and five lorries to steal 171 tonnes of railway track from the side of the main line from Bristol Parkway to London could have caused a "serious rail crash", say police.
Anthony Porretta, 53, masterminded the theft of the 40ft lengths of steel track, worth £22,308, from Acton Turville, near Chipping Sodbury, during engineering works.
Porretta, of Newport, South Wales, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft at Bristol Crown Court yesterday after initially denying a count of conspiracy to steal.
His admission led to the acquittal of four co-defendants - Christopher Jones, 41, of Newport, Darryl Davies, 34, of Mountain Ash, Mid Glamorgan, Brian Webb, 40, of Newport and Geraint Evans, 42, of Swansea.
After the hearing Detective Sergeant John Rawson, of British Transport Police, said that unemployed Porretta's actions could have caused a "serious rail crash".
Judge David Ticehurst adjourned the case until the week beginning June 30 for a pre-sentence report.