Madrid police catch 59 people siphoning water off the mains without paying

They have arrested 59 people who are said to have 'stolen' 286,000 cubic metres of drinking water – the average household consumes approximately 40 cubic metres a month, meaning the total amount siphoned illegally was enough to supply each of the accused parties for an average of 10 years.

Many of those thought to have been 'stealing' water are owners of companies, which habitually consume more, so police do not believe the situation has been going on for more than a few months.

Over a kilometre of unauthorised pipes tapping into the mains supply was found following extensive investigations that involved geo-radar robotic equipment.

As well as being fraudulent, the illegal connections could have caused serious structural damage to the mains, police say.

This may have led to a fall in water pressure for other consumers, massive leaks, and water pockets forming underground and putting the foundations of buildings in jeopardy.