Thieves went to "extraordinary lengths" to strip copper and steal machinery in a major Co. Antrim raid.

The owner has estimated losses and damage exceeding £100,000 as farmers and rural businesses are urged to remain vigilant.

The property owner near Ballymena is warning other farmers and business owners about the extent to which rural thieves operate.

They have described the extent of the damage and losses during a major machinery and copper theft that has left their facility inoperable.

The incident, at a property in the Granagh Road area of Cullybackey that was part of a local agricultural manufacturer’s expansion plans and was currently being refurbished, involved the theft of a JCB 530-70 telehandler, industrial machinery, welding equipment, and significant quantities of copper.

Extensive damage was also caused to buildings and equipment.

The owner believes the theft may have taken place between Friday, October 9 and Sunday, October 11, although the exact timing has not yet been established.

Extensive damage

According to the police in Northern Ireland, those responsible went to considerable lengths to access the secured premises, cutting locks on several gates before forcing their way into buildings and then exiting by ramming security doors to leave with the machinery.

Once inside, the intruders appear to have systematically targeted valuable machinery and copper-containing services equipment.

For example, a transformer weighing approximately 500kg was cut open and dismembered to remove its copper components.

Other electrical equipment was also stripped, with the thieves appearing to have spent considerable time breaking into and dismantling equipment, digging up floors and underground ducts to recover valuable materials.

The owner has reported damage to floors and building structures.

Thieves came prepared

Equipment including welding machinery made by Panasonic, Kemper, Fronius and Yaskawa, and associated materials was also removed.

Easily identifiable were four red Fronius welding machines.

The thieves came prepared with a key to match the JCB telehandler, valued at approximately £15,000, which was taken from the property, while a second excavator suffered serious electrical damage in an unsuccessful attempt to start it.

Evidence from the scene identifies that a 12V caravan battery was used to start the machines.

Telehandler stolen

The stolen JCB 530-70 telehandler can be described as an older model with the battery located at the doorstep.

Further evidence left at the scene suggests the offenders may have brought additional equipment with them to assist in accessing the machinery.

Weighing 8t, the telehandler alone would require a lorry with loading ramps, which may have been used to transport the stolen telehandler.

The scale of the damage and the effort involved have led the police to believe the incident was more than an opportunistic theft.

The owner said: "What I can’t believe is the lengths they’ve gone to just to get at all the copper.

"They’ve dismantled heavy equipment, damaged machinery and the building, and caused an extraordinary amount of destruction.

“There is evidence suggesting they may have brought their own equipment to help access the machinery. The level of preparation and destruction is quite shocking.

“We estimate the total losses and damage are in excess of £100,000."

The owner added that it is not just the value of what has been stolen that will affect their business - it is also equipment that has been destroyed, the cost of repairs and the disruption to planned work.

“We want to warn other property owners, farmers and rural businesses to be particularly vigilant," they said.

"If people are prepared to go to these lengths, it’s extremely concerning, especially with copper scrap value at an all-time high, which is now at £9,500/t.”

Appeal for info

It is considered that the machine has since been moved out of the area and may have passed through one of the ports or travelled to the south of Ireland.

The owner is appealing to anyone local to Cullybackey, Ballymena and the surrounding villages who may have road-facing CCTV, dashcam, business or farmyard security footage to check their recordings for a commercial vehicle capable of carrying this equipment.

Of particular interest are any sightings or footage of a lorry or low-loader transporting a yellow JCB 530-70 telehandler, an older model with the battery located at the doorstep, anytime after October 9.

Remain alert

Farmers, machinery dealers, agricultural contractors, haulage businesses and members of the public are also being asked to remain alert to machinery being offered for sale at unusually low prices or if a machine has appeared locally under suspicious circumstances.

A £4,000 reward is being proposed for information leading to both the recovery of the stolen machinery and a conviction.

Anyone who may have information or footage is asked to call or WhatsApp 0044 7436 284168, or alternatively, call the police: Northern Ireland - 101; Republic of Ireland or UK - 0044 2890 650222.

Information can also be provided directly to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) under reference 323 of 20/10/26.

Members of the public are urged not to approach anyone they suspect may be involved, but to preserve any relevant information or footage and pass it to the above contacts.