By Kirsty Topping
The thrill-seeker balances half way up an electricity pylon
AN ELECTRICITY firm has condemned a thrill-seeker who was pictured
“planking’ on one of their pylons.
The unidentified person, whose gender is unknown, managed to clamber over barbed wire intended to deter climbers before balancing precariously on a narrow metal beam around 50ft from the ground.
The picture was thought to be taken in Perth or the surrounding area and was posted on the social networking site, Facebook.
The stunt was condemned by Alan Broadbent, Head of Engineering at Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution which owns the pylons in Perth.
He said: “We are understandably concerned about our equipment being used in this way.
“Our substations, poles and pylons are safe when left alone, but can be dangerous places to enter or climb on.
“We take every step to protect the safety of the general public but when individuals act irresponsibly we cannot guarantee their safety. We therefore strongly discourage this practice on our equipment and would ask anyone who has information on our equipment being used this way to contact us.”
A spokesman for Tayside Police said:
“Clearly there are inherent dangers associated with this type of behaviour. We would appeal to anyone who is thinking of participating in this perilous activity, to consider the possible consequences should they slip or fall.
“These types of foolhardy actions also have the potential to put other’s lives at risk, not just members of the emergency services in the event of their being called to assist, but people close by who might step forward to help someone who is in difficulty. “
Jonathan Torbet has become a minor celebrity in his home town after ‘planking’ on a roadsign above the A9
The planker could be trying to better the feat of 19-year-old Jonathan Torbet, who was pictured last week lying face down on a road sign above the A9.
The teenage office worker from Perth has since become a minor celebrity, despite receiving a warning from Tayside Police.
He has had hundreds of people add him as a friend on Facebook and was even offered a half-price fare by a taxi driver if he agreed to
“plank’ on his vehicle.
Many people on the social networking site were referring to him as a
“legend’ but he has now vowed to give up the craze, saying he had gone
“too far.”
He said:
“I wouldn’t want someone to copy me and get hurt.
“I’ve got a fan base. I’ve had hundreds of people contacting me from places like Turkey and Australia,
The planking craze has already let to the death of at least one person when 20-year-old Acton Beale fell to his death after “planking” on a seventh-story balcony in Brisbane, Australia.
The Planker on top of the Tayside Police vehicle
Photographs have also emerged of someone
“planking’ on top of a Tayside Police vehicle.
The car, believed to be parked outside a police station in Forfar, Angus, did not have any officers in it at the time and it is unclear whether the person was apprehended by officers after performing the stunt.
