Warning as thefts of outboard motors rise

Following the recent theft of tens of thousands of euro worth of outboard motors, gardaí in Co Cork are advising boat-owners to remove the expensive machinery when their vessels are not in use.

They have also warned that a gang specialising in such thefts has changed tack, as during the past few years they only struck during the summer. “The winter thefts are a new departure and we believe they are being perpetrated at night,” said a Garda spokesman.

The most recent thefts occurred in the Cobh area and at Lough Hyne, near Skibbereen.