Mini-diggers taken in daylight burglary
BURGLARS disabled the alarm equipment at a Stockport plant hire company before returning to steal £36,000 worth of machinery.
Staff discovered the break-in at Morris Lesley, in Bredbury, when they arrived for work on Monday morning.
Three orange Kubota KX008 mini-excavators were taken.
According to CCTV at the firm, on Far Cromwell Road, the burglary happened around 9am the previous day.
It involved the cutting of the fence in the corner of the firm’s yard and then the three excavators, each worth around £12,000, were loaded into a white van.
Before this a sensor that detects movement inside the yard and immediately triggers an alarm had been deliberately broken.
Dave Eddisford, 29, the site’s transport co-ordinator, said: “It was obviously planned and they had gone past previously and knocked the sensor off the camera.
“It is a big loss for us, it will come off our bottom line and these were pretty popular items as they are small enough to fit through a door to do renovations inside.
“You could tell they knew what they were doing and had done it before because of the way they cut the fence.
“And to do it at 9am in the morning when anyone was going past, you have to be game.”
At least two men were involved in the burglary, one who loaded the miniexcavators into the van and the other who drove it.
The former is described only as a male in a dark top with the hood up. It is thought the van was an Iveco.
The site is one of 11 Morris Lesley has across the UK with the headquarters in Scotland.
Dave added: “We have had a couple stolen out on a site but not from here.
“It makes it more personal knowing they have scoped out the place. We are not happy at all.
“We want to highlight this and make others aware because if the people who have done this think they can get away with it they will come back again.”
Police confirmed they are investigating the burglary and have appealed for witnesses.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.