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UtILIty WEEK | 23rd - 29th May 2014 | 5 NI Water has withdrawn workers from its £10 million water mains upgrade project in Belfast after they were attacked by masked men carrying iron bars. The police were called to the scene after the men attacked a lorry with bars, smashed the wind- screen and set it alight at 9.30 am on Friday morning. There were no reports of any injuries. NI Water described the attack as "completely unwarranted, unprovoked and unnecessary". "Our paramount concern is the safety of our workers and we will not put them in danger. Our teams are there working for the good of the community to provide a safe and reliable service," a spokesper- son said. "The real shame of this situa- tion is that it will be the local com- munity who will suffer because of the mindless destruction of a few. I would urgently appeal to the local community and their representa- tives to unite with us in ensuring the safety of our staff and their equipment." WatEr Network companies are urging the Scottish Government to swiftly bring Scotland's metal theft legislation in line with England and Wales amid evidence that criminal gangs are moving north. The Energy Networks Association welcomed the introduction of legislation at Holyrood last week to tackle metal theft by regulating the scrap metal trade. Similar laws passed 18 months ago in England and Wales have cut metal theft by almost 40 per cent in some areas, the industry body said. However, that coincided with an "export of criminal activity" to Scotland. In the past year, Scottish Power has seen 365 thefts across its Scottish network, more than six times the number of incidents in its North Wales region, prompting its "Copped It" ad campaign. Mob attacks NI workers 16.66% of Scotland's energy needs could be met by solar power by 2025, according to a report by the University of Edinburgh 25% Amount by which South East Water wants to increase abstraction at one of its groundwater sources in Kent "Sir David was a charming man and we will miss him" Water UK paid tribute this week to chairman Sir David Rowlands, who died following a short illness "The time is right to draw a line under past supplier bad behaviour and truly rebuild trust so consumers are put at the heart of the energy market" Ofgem's Sarah Harrison on the regulator's findings that Eon was guilty of mis-selling to consumers between June 2010 and December 2013, p27 "There's every reason to expect customers in England will be able to use the choice they'll have to drive the same kind of benefits" Mark Powles, chief executive of Business Stream, the incumbent retailer in Scotland, on the Water Bill's Royal Assent this week 140,000ac acreage of shale gas land owned by Egdon Resources after its acquisition of Alkane Energy's shale gas assets, p26