South Offaly area hit by 13 burglaries in recent weeks

SOUTH Offaly has been hit by 13 burglaries in recent weeks, with houses in Kinnitty, Banagher, Birr, Ballyboy, Ballycumber, Shannonbridge and Kilcormac broken into and searched.
On Saturday January 17th, in the Ballyboy area, a shed was broken into between 2am to 2.30am and a number of power tools were stolen.
On Friday night January 16th in Derrykeel Kinnitty a shed was broken into during the night and a number of power tools stolen.
Between Sunday January 18th and Sunday January 25th the rear door of a house in Banagher was forced open. The premises was a vacant property. The burglars searched the premises but nothing was stolen.
On Thursday January 29th in Lismoney Kinnitty, during the night, the rear window of a vacant house was forced open. No property was stolen.
On the same date, during the afternoon, the rear kitchen window of another vacant house, this time in Castletown, Kinnitty, was smashed, a shed was broken into and power tools stolen.
On Saturday January 31st, during the evening, a premises in Ballycumber was broken into by two males, via the back door. While searching the house they were disturbed by the owner of the house and they fled the property. The same evening jewellery was stolen from a home in Moystown, Shannonharbour, and jewellery and cash were stolen from a home in Garrymore Shannonbridge. A few days before that a quantity of cash was stolen from a house on Roscrea Road, Birr.
On Saturday February 7th two houses were broken into in Banagher and cash was taken from one of them.
Between 10pm and 11pm on Saturday February 21st a derelict house in Freagh, Kilcormac, was broken into and searched. Nothing was stolen.
Finally, on Saturday evening February 21st another house on Roscrea Road, Birr was broken into and ransacked. The house was vacant for about an hour and during this time the thieves struck. They dismantled the CCTV system and gained entry by smashing the window of a rear patio door. The thieves stole a safe from the house which contained a quantity of cash. The safe was subsequently recovered but the cash was gone.

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