Burglars disturbed during Waringstown church hall break-in

THE curate of Holy Trinity Church in Waringstown, Rev Brian Luckman, cannot understand why the Parish church hall was a target for burglars last weekend.

The hall, on the Mill Hill, was broken into on Saturday evening some time around 7.00pm, the culprits forced open locked cabinets and ripped off kitchen cupboard doors while looking for something of value.

“It is very sad that some people have no respect for other people’s property,” said Rev Luckman. “I cannot understand why they would target a church hall. It is used by several youth organisations and there is nothing of any value to steal, so I don’t know why they would do such a thing.

“The damage can be repaired and at least it is not expensive, but some youth leaders have still to check their storage units to see what is missing.”

It is believed the burglars may have been disturbed when a youth worker arrived at about 7.30pm to clear up after a function which had been held in the hall the night before.

“The front door was still locked so there was no sign of a forced entry,” he said. “However, once inside I noticed a cabinet had been forced open and I knew right away something was not right and immediately went outside and called the police. They seemed to leave in a hurry from a side door because they left tools they used on the floor.

“We were very lucky because musical equipment worth thousands of pounds had been left in the hall on Friday night but thankfully it was removed on Saturday morning.”

Police are appealing to anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity around the hall between 11.00am and 7.00pm to contact them in Lurgan Police Station. They are also reminding local householders to secure their homes and valuables and ensure their property does not become an easy target for thieves.

Police in Lurgan can be contacted on 0845 600 8000. If you prefer to provide information without giving your details you can contact the independent Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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