Lismore Canna believe it! Island is second hit by crime in two weeks

THE number of suspects is limited, given that there are only 180 residents.

But police are investigating a rare crime on the sleepy island of Lismore.

Officers were called to reports of a housebreaking at about 4.45pm last Thursday in the South Achinduin area.

A lifeboat from nearby Oban, Argyll, took three officers to the tiny Inner Hebridean island, where they hitched a lift with the local fire crews to begin their inquiries.

Police would not say what was taken during the break-in but added that they are following a positive line of inquiry. There is no permanent police presence of the .1 square-mile island in Loch Linnhe.

On the day of the crime, the community website had asked if anybody was interested in becoming a special constable, as it does not have one.

The area’s Conservative councillor Alastair Redman said: ‘It is unbelievable, quite shocking. It will be a massive shock on Lismore.

‘But it just shows that nowhere, no matter how law abiding, is safe from crime and we need to make sure these areas are properly policed.’

A resident, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I can’t remember when we had any crime here.

‘I believe that the incident involved people from the mainland.’

Police Scotland confirmed that officers were sent to Lismore after reports of a break-in and said inquiries are continuing.

Last week it was revealed that the tiny island of Canna in the Inner Hebrides had suffered the theft of a historic sword from the local museum.