Barbed wire booby trap strung across public pathway
A LETHAL barbed wire booby trap has been found strung across a path where families walk and cycle in Calderdale.
The potentially deadly hazard was spotted by a member of the community on a path near Southowram on Friday evening.
It is the second incident in West Yorkshire in a month after a runner found barbed wire tied up between two trees at Blackmoorfoot Reservoir near Huddersfield in late April.
A post on Facebook by Lauren Fay warned walkers, cyclists and runners to keep alert to the danger.
She wrote: “Came across this barbed wire at about 5.30pm this afternoon.
“Coming down from St Anne’s Church in Southowram to Binns Top Farm in Elland Park Woods.
“The barbed wire was properly secured into the wall and could do some serious damage if you didn’t see it and especially if you’re on a bike!
“Just be wary as obviously some not very pleasant people around!
“Please note that I’ve already managed to take this down and pull it out of the wall where it was secured in. There’s lots more barbed wire still around the area, however, so it could easily be done again.”
The incident has caused concern that someone is deliberately setting deadly traps on footpaths around Kirklees
and Calderdale.
“Somebody must know who has done this,” said one person.
“Do the right thing and report them, that could kill and it would be on your head for the rest of your life,” they added.
Other responses to the shocking discovery included: “That’s horrible, what if some poor little kid was running ahead of mum and dad. Just no need.”
Others said: “This has been done to cause serious harm!” and, “Who could be so evil as to do this”, while another comment claimed someone had once been killed by a similar trap.
They added: “Both my children ran ahead of me down that path yesterday, absolutely sickening.”