Hardware stores targeted by thieves in NI-wide crime spree

Robbers dressed as workmen, targeted the shops all day yesterday with the PSNI receiving reports from 9am on Wedneday morning.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Five incidents in total were reported to police starting at Carnbane Industrial Estate in Newry shortly after 9am on Wednesday morning, when a group of men entered the store, distracted shop staff and removed goods.

“Over the course of the next several hours further reports of similar incidents were then received of men, matching the same description, entering stores at Goban Street in Portadown, Flush Place in Lurgan, Lissue Industrial Estate in Lisburn ending at Orby Link in east Belfast, removing goods after distracting staff.

“The men were reported to have been wearing work clothing at each incident.

“CCTV footage has been recovered from various locations and enquiries are currently ongoing to identify those involved.

“Anyone with any information or who is offered tools for sale in suspicious circumstances is asked to call police on the non-emergency number 101, or submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.”

-

-

Anti NI protocol graffiti threatening port staff condemned Read full story here

-

-

Editor’s Message:

Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a copy of the paper. You can also support trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription of the News Letter.