Lorry theft ‘massive blow’ for Strabane business

THE theft of a lorry, containing £80,000 worth of machinery, from a local garden centre has been described as a “massive blow” to the business.

The theft occurred on Wednesday of last week when the lorry containing a JCB telehandler, a JCB micro digger and a JCB micro dumper was driven out of the Dock Street premises of the Garden Depot, sometime around 9:30pm – at the same time that a fun fair was taking place in the Canal Basin.

The thieves reportedly gained entry by cutting the lock on the gate before making off with the vehicle. However the theft was was only reported two days later when the Garden Depot reopened following St Patrick’s Day. But whilst the lorry was recovered outside Buncrana in Donegal, the other machinery was not found.

John McGuinness, owner of the Garden Depot, has described the theft as a ‘huge blow.’

“Losing the machinery was a massive blow to the business, it is vital to the work that we do here,” he said. “The three items in question were extremely valuable. I don’t know for certain if they were stolen to order but the fact that the thieves went for that particular lorry and the trackers in the machines were removed suggests to me that these people knew exactly what they were doing. To be honest I’m not hopeful of retrieving anything.

“I’m now in a position where I have to either turn down work where these machines would have been needed or rent the machines from an outside source to complete the work, costing me more money.”

PSNI Inspector Ken McDermott added, “While thankfully the lorry has been recovered the machinery, which has significant value, has yet to be located.

“When this theft was carried out, Strabane town centre would have been busy with people attending a fun fair. If you were in the area around this time and noticed anything out of the ordinary, or if you believe you saw the lorry being taken, contact us.

“If you know the whereabouts of the machinery stolen or, if you’ve offered similar items for sale in suspicious circumstances, call us on 101, quoting reference 752 of 18/03/22.”