A total of 29 suckler cattle are thought to have been stolen from a field in the Lough Road area of Upper Ballinderry, Lisburn.
Police in Northern Ireland are appealing for information.
Cattle stolen
Const. Andrew Patton said: “A mixture of black and red Limousine bulls, heifers and some calves were taken, sometime between January 22 and 3:00pm on January 25.
Our enquiries have been ongoing; however, we are now keen to hear from anyone who noticed anything suspicious in the area, such as a lorry, or livestock being transported, at this time.
“The number to call is ‘101’. Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on: 0800-555-111; the service is 100% anonymous.”
This weekend a Honda TRX500ES quad; an Ifor Williams 8X5 flatbed trailer; and a Sthil chainsaw were also reported stolen from a farm in Newtownards, Co. Down. The owner has asked anyone with information to contact police.
Crime figures
It comes just days after police reported an 11% drop in rural crime incidents.
The latest quarterly update also marked a 47% reduction since 2010-11.
Reacting to the decrease PSNI Supt. Brian Kee said that, while the news was “encouraging”, he takes the position that one crime against the rural community is “one too many” and reminded property owners to remain vigilant for suspicious activity.
He said: “We are not complacent, we continue to seek ways in which to disrupt and detect criminals who target rural communities.
“For instance, we are concerned at an apparent increase in the theft of quads in the first few weeks of 2018. We would ask members of the public to report anything suspicious to police as soon as possible.”
