Rustlers graduate from prize bulls to quad bikes

IN scenes reminiscent of the Wild West, farmers in rural Ireland are being hit by a fresh crime wave that has seen a surge in sheep and cattle rustling.

In a more modern twist, however, thieves are also targeting quad bikes, tractors, car batteries, tools, machinery and even a half-tonne roller.

Among the crimes being investigated are the theft of three €4,000 pedigree bulls from the Roscommon-Leitrim border, 40 sheep from a farm in the west, a 500cc Honda quad bike worth €8,000 in Co Cork and a half-tonne roller stolen from a field in Bandon, Co Cork.