A 32-year old man has been arrested following a burglary at a service station on the Newcastle Road in Seaforde during the early hours of yesterday morning, Friday 28 February.Shortly before 3.45am thieves used a Volvo digger to remove an ATM machine from the building.  Considerable damage was caused to the building during the incident. It is believed that the digger involved had been stolen a short time earlier from a nearby quarry and then set on fire and destroyed in the incident.
A van that is believed to have been involved in the incident was recovered by police at the Ballystockart Road, Comber area that contained the ATM machine inside at around 7.20pm on Friday 28 February.
[caption id="attachment_47509" align="aligncenter" width="540"] The scene at Brennan’s Filling Station at Seaforde after a robbery using a digger stole an ATM machine.[/caption]
The man was subsequently released on police bail pending further enquiries.
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ROGERS CONDEMNS SEAFORDE BURGLARY
South Down MLA Seán Rogers (SDLP) has spoken out following the Seaforde burglary in the early hours of last Friday morning.
Mr Rogers said:  “I understand that a digger was stolen from Stevenson’s Quarry nearby then used to remove an ATM from Brennan’s Filling Station on the main Newcastle Road, Seaforde. “I wish to totally condemn this act. My thoughts are with the management and staff at both Stevenson’s and Brennans. This is a disgraceful act. We are all in tough economic times and to recover from such a crime is always both costly and a huge inconvenience. Both businesses are big employers in the area and make a significant contribution to our local economy as well as providing much needed services. I would urge anyone with any information to make contact with the PSNI as a matter of urgency so that those responsible can be apprehended and put before the courts.“Â
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