Gardai believe a gang is targeting local schools and childcare centres in the area, following a spate of break-ins in recent days.
Overnight last Monday, the rear door at the Manor Children’s Centre was forced open and all rooms ransacked. On the same night, the alarm at Gaelscoil na nDéise was activated and entry gained to the school. The rear glass door of Little Darlings at the Six Cross Road was smashed shortly after 2am last Wednesday and several rooms ransacked. An office at Light of Christ School, Dunmore East, was also ransacked in the early hours of Wednesday morning – at around 3.40am. St Paul’s National School was broken into at around 9.35pm last Wednesday. Schools in Dunhill, Kill and Fenor were also broken into during the week.
Woman mugged: A woman was mugged whilst walking home from work in the city centre last week. The woman was walking along Stephen Street at around 5.50pm when she noticed a man acting suspiciously. The man then ran towards her, pushed her against a wall and took her handbag. The victim was not physically injured during the incident.
Community centre break-in:
Substantial damage was caused to a door and some flooring at the Cill Barra Community Centre, Ballybeg last Thursday. The complex was broken into between 1.30pm and 6.30pm. A safe was broken into and some cash taken. A vending machine was also smashed.
Homes burgled: Some jewellery was taken from a house at Orchard Drive between 10am and 6.45pm last Thursday. The front window was forced open to gain entry and all rooms in the house searched. A house at Castle Oaks, Ferrybank, was also ransacked during a burglary last Thursday afternoon. The house was entered via the rear door, some time between 1.30pm and 6.30pm.
Twenty four cans of Carlsberg were stolen from a house at Hazelbourne during a break-in that took place between 3.45pm and 9pm on Thursday. The house was also ransacked.
A farm shed at Newrath, Ferrybank, was broken into last week, between 6pm on Thursday and 9am on Friday. A yellow welder and a Honda power washer were taken.
Access was gained to a house at Beech Park, Viewmount, last Wednesday. The house alarm was damaged and the house gone through, some time between 7.15am and 7.15pm. On the same day, between 4.30pm and 6pm, a house at Grange Heights was antered via a patio door and the upstairs searched. Nothing appears to be missing and gardai believe the culprits of both burglaries were looking for specific items.
At around 5pm on Thursday, the front door of a house at Pearse Park was tampered with and then the garage door forced open. The rear kitchen window and internal doors were damaged during the break-in but gardai believe the culprits were disturbed as nothing appears to be missing.
A house at Island View, Knockboy, was broken into and ransacked some time last Tuesday. A safe containing cash, passports, property deeds and two commemorative coins was taken from the house.
Window smashed: A window at Paddy Brown’s Pub was smashed in the early hours of last Friday morning and a flat screen TV stolen.
Garage break-in: A break-in took place overnight last Wednesday at the Auto King premises at Kilcohan. The front door was forced to gain entry. Amongst the items stolen were a diagnostic computer, a power washer and a power drill.
