Police in the Highlands are appealing for information after copper wiring was stolen during a break-in.
Network Refrigeration in the Balintore Industrial Estate was broken into between 6pm on Friday January 22 and 11pm on Saturday January 23.
Police say a large amount of copper wiring, which the business estimates to be worth around £1,000, was taken from the compound during the theft.
Sam Summersbee, senior partner of Network Refrigeration, said: “I found it quite surprising.
“We don’t usually get things like this happening in a quiet, sleepy village called Balintore.
“Everybody knows everybody and if there are any strangers about it is soon flagged.
“We got it on camera, but that has been lost – that is the annoying thing.
“It was 8.30pm at night, which really surprised me.
“It is not late, it is not early hours of the morning, and we have got some really good lights up here that light the place up like daylight – yet they still seemed determined to chance their arm.”
‘The theft has not impacted operations’
The refrigeration company have been able to continue operations, with Mr Summersbee adding that “it takes a lot to stop us”.
The theft is believed to have occurred around 8.30pm on Saturday January 23 but was not discovered until the Monday morning.
Mr Summersbee said that it had even gone unnoticed by workers arriving at 7am, such was the minimal disruption to the yard.
“It all happened very quickly,” he added.
“I suspect whoever did it must have been up here a few times when we have not been here and cased the joint. It was so quick and so rapid, from what we got on camera, that one minute there was a van that had pulled up and the next it was gone.
“I don’t think it was somebody who turned up out of the blue.
“The crime prevention officer came up and he had a walk around and he was quite surprised as well.
“He said to us ‘you have got an alarm system, cameras, locked gates with padlocks – I am quite surprised’, so I just told him, so am I.
“It just shows you that people will go to all sort of lengths.
“It is somewhere in the region of up to £1,000, but that is enough to me.
“It’s our stuff. It belongs to us.”
‘Angry, disappointed and frustrated’
Mr Summersbee has said he has been left “angry, disappointed and frustrated” at the latest incident, after his business was hit 15 years ago at another site along with others.
He added: “It is not just about me; it is about my business.
“Why would people do that? Somebody has come in and helped themselves to something that belongs to my business.
“We are only a small business and it is not like we are multi-national company that have got millions of pounds to throw about; we haven’t.
“We work hard for what we have got.
“When you pay your way in life and pay bills, you learn to appreciate the value of money. No matter how big or how small it is, every penny counts to me.
“I have got employees, I have got vehicles to run and rates, electricity, and all these other bills that the business has to pay and you have got to find that money to pay for it.
“When somebody decides that they are going to take property that has got a value away from you, it’s disappointing.
“You are left thinking that money could have gone towards whatever.”
Police are urging anybody with any information to get in touch.
Information can be shared with police by dialling 101, or to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111.