A garage owner in Derry has branded thieves that broke into his business at the weekend as the “scum of the earth”.
The criminals targeted the Springtown Garage, which offers MOT and repairs services. They rammed the gates, cut through locks and damaged a customer's vehicles that was inside before stealing the garage’s equipment.
The garage owners – Sipho Sebela and Martin McClay – are understandably annoyed by the theft but they could ensure they are not left out of pocket by acquiring a comprehensive combined motor trade insurance policy. Not only would this cover the cost of the stolen tools, it could also protect against the damage caused to the vehicles being stored on the site as well as the premises itself.
According to the owners, the total cost of the damage will run into thousands of pounds. Mr Sebela told the Derry Journal that it came just as the business was expanding and doing good trade.
He added: “The only car that was damaged was the car near the door that was blocking them. They broke the window and moved the car out of the way and then took almost all of the tools.
“Tools can be recovered but you still have the shock in your mind, why would they come straight to your building like that – they knew exactly what they wanted.”
The other owner Mr McClay said of the thieves: “They are scum just, scum of the earth.”
The pair are asking for people in the local area to come forward if they know anything about the incident or of anyone selling the car repair equipment.
