POLICE have charged a Carrington man with a range of offences after an investigation into copper theft at the Port of Newcastle.
Officers began investigating in October after copper cabling was allegedly stolen from an area of the port during a break-in.
The same area was allegedly broken into on New Year's Eve, last Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday and copper cabling was cut from wind turbines stored in the area.
Newcastle Police Target Action Group on Thursday searched a Tully Street property.
They arrested a 45-year-old man about 2.30pm when he was stopped riding a motorised bicycle from the premises.
The man was charged with aggravated break, enter and steal; three counts of break, enter and steal and one count of drive whilst disqualified.
He was refused bail to face Newcastle Local Court on Friday.
Separately, a 32-year-old Wickham man was charged after investigations into several break-ins, including one at a Hamilton school.
The man was charged with three offences of break and enter and one count of possessing a prohibited drug after his arrest on Wednesday.
The break and enter charges relate to several alleged offences including the James Street school break-in earlier this week.
Police said a male forced entry to the premises at 2.35am on Wednesday morning before departing when an alarm sounded.
School staff members reviewed CCTV footage of the incident and allegedly recognised the offender on Beaumont Street about 5pm the same day, police said.
The man on Beaumont Street was arrested and found to have an outstanding revocation of parole warrant.
Police will further allege the man is responsible for a Chaucer Street break-in on January 28 and a Belford Street incident on January 31.
He was refused bail to face court on Thursday.
