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Farm equipment stolen
A FARMER is offering a reward after thieves took vehicles and equipment worth £18,000 from his yard.
Gerald Tull, from Owslebury, added that when he reported it, police were reluctant to attend.
The thieves entered his yard, opposite the village pub, The Ship Inn, during the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday, May 5, he said.
They took a Yanmar SV 08 mini excavator with a modified seat, and an Ivor Williams low loading trailer. They also stole digger buckets, diesel fuel, and tools.
Mr Tull, 60, who is also a parish councillor, called police at 9am when he discovered the theft. He added that the police switchboard operator had difficulty grasping the location of his yard.
"They asked me if Owslebury was the name of the company that the digger had been stolen from."
He added that police gave him a crime number, but were initially reluctant to visit the yard.
It comes six months after armed officers swooped on Mr Tull's home in Main Road, Owslebury, and arrested him.
The raid took place after he faxed his bank manager threatening to blow his head off with a shotgun, following a lengthy dispute with Lloyds TSB.
After Andover Magistrates acquitted him last month (April), police said they had to take the allegations in the fax seriously.
However, when Mr Tull wanted officers to visit earlier this week, he said they were reluctant to do so.
He added: "If the thieves phoned first and threatened to blow my brains out before they came, perhaps 23 armed police officers would have turned out, but because it was only theft no one was available."
Mr Tull said he eventually persuaded the police to visit, and two officers inspected his yard 90 minutes after reporting the crime.
He invited them back later that day after finding some witnesses in the village, but they did not return, he added.
A police spokeswoman said: "The officer in the case has received information about potential witnesses and the names and addresses of these people have been obtained and will be taken into account as part of the investigation.
"Every allegation of crime is treated seriously and officers will investigate all incidents thoroughly."
Mr Tull is offering a "large cash reward" for information leading to the capture of the thieves and the return of his property.
Any witnesses are urged to call PC Jodana Stewart at Winchester police station on 0845 045 4545.
5:10pm Friday 9th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Andy Pearce, Bucharest on 9:36am Mon 12 May 08
[remember when if you wanted to know the way you could ask a policeman? Centralisation/civil
ianisation makes for more effective policing! quote]He added: "If the thieves phoned first and threatened to blow my brains out before they came, perhaps 23 armed police officers would have turned out, but because it was only theft no one was available."[/quote] [quote]quote[/quote] So theft is no longer important! what a sorry state the UK has got itself into!
He added: "If the thieves phoned first and threatened to blow my brains out before they came, perhaps 23 armed police officers would have turned out, but because it was only theft no one was available." quote So theft is no longer important! what a sorry state the UK has got itself into!
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