Gardaí warn public to be aware of burglaries in run-up to Christmas

Anton McNulty

GARDAÍ have called on business people and homeowners to ensure that all valuables are in a safe location in the run-up to Christmas, after a number of burglaries took place over the last week.
The weeks before Christmas has been described by gardaí as ‘silly season’ for burglaries, with thieves targeting homes where they believe they will get large amounts of cash and jewellery.
Last week there were a number of burglaries with a safe, containing what is believed to be a  substantial amount of cash, stolen from the Country Lodge Hotel in Aughagower in the early hours of Thursday, December 6.
The burglary took place at approximately 3am when a rear window of the hotel was forced open and a safe belonging to the hotel was taken from a room. It is not known how much money was taken but it is understood that it may have contained a couple of thousand euro.
Later that day there was a burglary of a house in the Knockthomas area in Castlebar when the rear window of the premises was forced open sometime between 5.50pm and 6.50pm on December 6.
The thieves left empty handed after they attempted to take a safe from the building but it was cemented into the floor and it could not be removed.
On Friday evening, December 7, a small amount of cash and jewellery were taken from a house in the Waterville Estate on the Pontoon Road, Castlebar. The burglary took place some time between 6pm and 12.30pm when the occupants were at the Ray Moylette boxing event in the TF Royal Hotel.
Gardaí in Westport are also investigating a break-in to a premises on Boffin Street on Friday night when a sum of cash was taken.
‘Easy money’
Superintendent Joe McKenna told The Mayo News that the Christmas period is the time of year when people are looking to get easy money.
“Christmas is a time when some people want to get cash without having to work for it and are looking for an opportunity to get it. Houses are often selected when people are not at home and the burglars feel there is cash about. I would urge people to ensure they do not have large amounts of cash in their homes and to put their valuables in a safe which is secured,” he said.
Anyone with any information on any of the burglaries is asked to contact Westport or Castlebar Garda Station.

Machinery break-ins
Meanwhile, it was confirmed that a trailer containing a ride-on lawnmower and other items found near Bofeenaun last Monday morning were those taken following the burglary of two containers on the grounds of Westport Utd over the weekend of December 2 and 3.  However, the majority of the items have yet to be discovered.