On 12/5/2020 at 12:38 PM, CanadaSam said:

Do you really think pliers, no matter how big, could possibly cut through that size of wire?

Large external telecomms cable is usually steel wire armoured. I always used a hacksaw to get through the bulk of the cable then finished it off with side cutters (not pliers).

1 hour ago, polpott said:

Large external telecomms cable is usually steel wire armoured. I always used a hacksaw to get through the bulk of the cable then finished it off with side cutters (not pliers).

I'd agree with that.

However looking at the photos, there doesn't appear to be any armouring surrounding the cable pairs inside, and the black plastic outer-sheathing.

The underground cables were usually armoured and the aerial cable had a multi-strand steel wire above the multi-pair cable, but moulded above it for support (almost like a figure-of-eight looking at it in cross-section).

11 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I'd agree with that.

However looking at the photos, there doesn't appear to be any armouring surrounding the cable pairs inside, and the black plastic outer-sheathing.

The underground cables were usually armoured and the aerial cable had a multi-strand steel wire above the multi-pair cable, but moulded above it for support (almost like a figure-of-eight looking at it in cross-section).

Agree. Would only need a box cutter to remove a section of outer sheathing then nibble through the wires with a pair of side cutters. The additional wire you're referring to is a catenary wire, a length of which was exposed and anchored at either end.

Confused that's UG 200pr cable not aerial the weight is colossal to be strung up between poles and wouldn't need to be cut down it would fall down in a breeze ???? 

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Confused that's UG 200pr cable not aerial the weight is colossal to be strung up between poles and wouldn't need to be cut down it would fall down in a breeze ???? 

So that's why the poles fall down, nothing to do with vehicles hitting them - ha ha!
 

Having said that, perhaps it was a new underground cable duct the cable was liberated from, and 'a bamboo ladder taken into evidence' was used to climb down into the ductwork.
(OK, that was sarcasm)