Tomorrow, weather permitting, I will examine more of the cable.
- I have 4m buried, easy to pull up in flexible conduit
- I have offcuts from both ends

Recall? Trading Standards?
- Actually no, I think it is a matter for BASEC to comment on
- If I find the problem repeats along the whole cable I will email
them

I've got used to odd quirks - such as armour layups.
Armour i) coverage measures to be 70% rather than 90% of bedding o.d.
and ii) laid in such a manner as to leave a spiral band without armour
so point penetration over a 4-5mm circumference would not actually
contact armour.

However insulation with copper grinning through spoils your day with
*buried* SWA.
If I had only removed a little bedding (10cm) I would have never been
the wiser.

I note Screwfix still sell "Prysmian" branded FTE & SWA (altho not
5c), so still possible to walk-in and get Good Stuff.
That said I still do not understand why Screwfix do not carry (say)
25m of 50-68mm underground twinwall electrical ducting (best) or non-
perforated land drain (usable). Not much bigger than their piles of
water supply pipe. Creates an SWA-upgrade market when someone finds
17th requires 3% VD for lighting and everyone sized to just scrape
under 4% for 16th regs :-) Yes I know regs are not retrospective, but
that doesn't stop 'em trying!