Gardaí are currently investigating an incident of theft that occurred on a dairy farm in Co. Tipperary yesterday evening (Thursday, September 8).
Video footage of a calving camera recorded some of the incident showing two thieves on the premises at around 10:40p.m in the New Inn area of Cashel.
A power washer has been stolen by the thieves who are believed to have entered the farm premises through a field gate, according to dairy farmer Michael Tobin. He told Agriland:
“I went out to milk the cows at around 06:00a.m this morning. The cows were going into the shed to eat silage and I noticed the gate was open to the shed and the cows were able to get into a different section of it.
“That gate being open was what made me realise that the power washer was gone. They escaped using that gate,” Michael said.
The dairy farmer believes the thieves were dropped off at a field gate, where they were picked up at around 10:50p.m, after walking across the field, leaving wheel marks in the field.
Calving camera footage indicates that the thieves did not enter through the front gate, which is about 200 metres back from the road, Michael said.
“They didn’t walk into the front, they walked into the shed knowing where the power washer was. It is a heavy enough thing to move, it would have taken two of them to move it.
“They didn’t come in how I would have expected them to come in. I would advise farmers to be vigilant on all fronts, not just their main entrance, and to record registration numbers of anyone that comes in.
“Even if it is during the day and seems innocent. This is one thing we didn’t do this week, we had people in that could be linked to the situation,” according to Michael.
Gardaí has confirmed that no arrests have been made and investigations are currently ongoing.
This is the second incident of a farm theft in Co. Tipperary within the past two weeks. A burglary occurred at a farm contractor’s yard in Mullinahone on Thursday, August 25.
Thieves managed to enter the farm yard in Poulacapple between 2:15a.m and 4:15a.m, and stole a quad; a power washer; power tools; a compressor; tractor parts; and diesel.