Heating oil thieves strike

A SMALL country school in Co Kerry was forced to close after heating oil thieves struck.

Gardaí in the county have urged the public to be on the alert, following a series of thefts over the past two weeks in which thousands of euro of heating oil was stolen from homes and business premises.

Thieves are also reportedly targeting holiday homes along with houses where home owners are away for the weekend, or even for the day. But, most of the thefts are from larger premises, such as schools and business premises in north Kerry and particularly Tralee areas, according to gardaí.

Last week, the 30-pupil Killahan National School at Abbeydorney, which also has an autistic unit, was forced to close for two days after it was targeted.

The tank was damaged after thieves hacked at pipes and the school was forced to close during a particularly cold spell while repairs were being carried out. About €2,000 worth of oil was stolen.

Meanwhile, the thefts are continuing and gardaí urged tank owners to secure their tanks with a strong lock. People are also being asked to consider installing sensor lights.