Thieves dressed in black clothing were caught on CCTV breaking into a north machinery yard and stealing four quad bikes with a combined value of more than £20,000.
The ATVs (all terrain vehicles) were taken from McLaren Tractors in Dingwall between 11.50am on Sunday and 2.10am on Monday. The vehicles are a blue Polaris, a white Sportsman 570, a green Sportsman 570 UTE, and a green Traxter Bombardier 4×4.
Police inquiries are ongoing and husband and wife owners, George and Fiona McLaren, are appealing to the public for information to help track down their machines and catch the thieves.
Yesterday they told the Press and Journal that CCTV footage taken at the site shows five gang members wearing black hooded tops cutting their way through a perimeter fence before driving off on the machines.
Mrs McLaren, who has been running the company with her husband since 2003, said: “We were looking at the footage all day on Tuesday. They were an organised gang. They cut open the fence and drove one of the bigger quad bikes over the hill behind us and up over the railway line. The other ones went up Strathpeffer Road.
“I am very angry. We have been in business a long time and this is the first time something like this has happened, but it’s not a nice feeling. We just don’t think that something like this will ever happen in Dingwall, it’s appalling.
“These guys might do it to another local company if they are still in the area. We don’t know if they are still in the area, but they might be looking to try and sell the bikes.”
Detective Inspector Scott Macdonald said: “Incidents like this are thankfully rare in the Highlands but we know from previous experience that they can tend to happen in series.
“In the past, the public have been an invaluable resource in feeding us information to catch the suspects involved.
“This incident is being treated seriously by police and we want to interrupt this crime group’s activity before any more thefts take place.
“We would urge anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area on Sunday evening or has any information on these vehicles to make contact via 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
The details of the quad bikes are as follows: a blue Polaris machine: serial number TAPVDE990FK000345, engine number 0120500206352, model number Z15VDE99NV
A white Sportsman 570: serial number TAPSEE570FJ005152, engine number 0120501005268, model number A15SEE57HJ.
A green Sportsman 570 UTE: serial number TAPSUE575GJ009301, engine number 0120527205050, model number A16SUE57F1.
A green Traxter Bombardier: serial number 2BVAFJA1X2V000340.
