The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have confirmed that they are investigating an incident where agricultural machinery and equipment were stolen in Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim.
The agricultural machinery and equipment are suspected to have been stolen from the vicinity of the Ballyearl Leisure Centre on the Doagh Road during the evening of Friday, January 2, 2026 around 8:00p.m.
PSNI outlined that among the items taken was a red-coloured Polaris Sportsman 570 quad.
Appeal for information
As part of their enquiries, PSNI are appealing for information regarding a “red-coloured panel van that may be of interest to the police investigation.”
According to the police, the van was seen in the Ballylinney Road area, north of Newtownabbey, between approximately 8:45p.m and 9:00p.m on the same evening as the theft.
Officers believe that the individuals may have made off on foot in this area following the incident.
Members of the public who were travelling or live in the area are being urged to check their dashcam footage, doorbell cameras, or CCTV to see if it may have captured anything unusual around the time of the incident.
Information can be passed to police by calling 101 and quoting the reference number, 1349 of 2/1/26.
Alternatively, the public can provide information anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or online through its website.
Registering equipment
Separately, Agriland recently spoke to a farmer from Co. Wexford, who has urged other farmers to register their equipment online to make it harder to sell on if stolen, following an incident last month where a Tuff Mac (12X6) cattle trailer was taken from his farm in Gorey.
The farmer recommended others to use the Equipment Register (TER) website, which is Europe’s largest database of plant and equipment.
Farmers are allowed to register five items for free when creating an account on TER’s website, and, in the event of a theft, these registered items can be flagged as stolen.
If thieves try to sell on any stolen registered equipment, buyers, dealers and auction houses – as well as the police and insurance companies – can check the TER database to find out if it has been flagged, increasing the likelihood that it can be reunited with its true owner.
“It’s a bit of due diligence; in 10 to 20 minutes, you will figure out how to register and if you don’t know how to do it, just ask any of your kids, grandchildren, or someone who is more tech-savvy,” the farmer said.
