Friday, April 1, 2011

Bird thefts probed after spate of crimes across Sheerness

A pensioner is counting the cost of being hit three times in ten weeks by a bird-napping crimewave sweeping Sheerness. Edwin Cross, 66, says he has had 100 birds, worth thousands of pounds, swiped from the aviaries in his back garden in Alexandra Street.
Remarkably it is only the tip of the iceberg, with police saying more than 120 birds have been stolen in six different raids across the town in recent weeks.
Now police are urging bird keepers to be extra vigilant against those looking to feather their nest with their ill-gotten gains.
The first theft took place on Friday, January 21, when a large quantity of red factor canaries and diamond doves were taken.
The same aviary was targeted on February 18, with zebra finches among others being taken. More recently on March 19, it was broken into again with 60-70 budgies taken.
Mr Cross said: "I have four big aviaries in the back garden and they caused a bit of damage to them and they left them open, so the birds that they didn’t take were left to escape.
"It has cost me a lot of money in the long run, about £2,000 with the amount of birds being pinched.
"I’ve still going to have birds and had them replaced.
"I’ve got alarmed locks on the aviaries now and they are very noisy. All you have to do is touch them and they go off.
"I have had birds for years. I am 66 and retired now and they are my hobby. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke – they’re all I’ve got.
"I love everything about them and something like this has given me a bit of a knock."
Among the other crimes 30 canaries were pinched from an aviary in Maple Street on March 18. Six days later a different aviary was hit with a further seven canaries taken.
And on March 21, the bird-brain thieves targeted a chicken run in Maple Street, stealing two cockerels and a hen.
DC Gary Seamark of the island’s crime investigation team, said: "I would warn bird owners to be vigilant at this time and to secure their aviaries wherever possible.
"They can also invest in additional security measures such as sensor lighting or CCTV, which may deter these offenders, who are predominantly acting in the hours of darkness.
"I would also appeal for information about any of the crimes which have taken place, as where animals are concerned it can be very distressing for their owners to lose them.
"I would appeal to the conscience of those involved to come forward."
Anyone with information should contact police on 01795 584111 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

(Reproduced from Kent News 31st March 2011)

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