Hertfordshire man charged for stealing streetlamps worth £1m
A 20-year-old man has been charged with stealing 45 historic streetlamps and lanterns worth £1 million across several English counties. Police recovered approximately 300 lights during the investigation, which involved thefts from various public and private properties.
Why it matters
The theft of significant cultural and historical infrastructure highlights the vulnerability of public heritage assets to organized criminal activity.
Image source, Steve Hubbard/BBC Image caption, Police said the stolen items included 1950s street lamps, taken from Cambridge city centre
Police investigating the theft of 45 streetlamps and lanterns worth an estimated £1m have charged a man.
John O'Sullivan, 20, of High Street in Barkway, near Royston, Hertfordshire, faces 38 theft charges relating to offences across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Durham, Essex and the Thames Valley area.
There were also a further seven theft offences relating to incidents in Hertfordshire between 17 September 2025 and 17 March this year, police said.
O'Sullivan is scheduled to appear at Stevenage Magistrates' Court on 5 August.
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