CCTV cameras catch men during alleged attempted theft of Telstra cabling

Three men have been charged after allegedly attempting to tow away more than 200 metres of copper cable from a Telstra communications pit in Adelaide. 

The van which was used in the incident was spotted by CCTV in a Woodville street in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Police later arrested the three men involved, who have now all been charged with theft. 

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A twisted mess of cables could be seen still tied to the towbar of the van involved following the arrest before police had it towed away. 

Nearby residents reported hearing loud noises during the alleged attempted theft.

"Just heard screeching in the middle of the night, even my dog got up," one local told 9News.

Telstra reported a small number of outages as crews worked to repair and remove the damaged cable, which could take days.

Similar thefts have been reported across Adelaide.

Two men were arrested last week in Oakden, in early August copper was stripped from a disused factory at Plympton, and a man was spotted inside a Campbelltown service pit when stolen cables were found in a car nearby.

Telstra said it's now working closely with police to stop those responsible for these attempted thefts and vandalism.

It's encouraging anyone who sees strange activity near manholes to contact authorities.