A ‘rather strange’ spate of thefts as thieves remove rubbish from beauty spot

Residents of an idyllic Cornish village have been left baffled after a series of “pretty freaky” thefts in which thieves made off with old and damaged equipment, ignoring more valuable items. Locals in Devoran, between Falmouth and Truro, said they were hit by thieves who descended on the quay on the River Carnon.

They said everything from trailers to lawnmowers had been stolen and they are now considering installing CCTV cameras to monitor the area. Tristan Jones, who sits on the committee for the Devoran Quay Preservation Society, said thefts in the area happen every summer, but the recent spate has been relentless and sometimes shockingly random.

He explained that the thieves stole a trailer that was so broken he wasn’t sure the wheels would stay on, a lawnmower with a “massive hole” that was covered in grass and “the worst exterior Yamaha has ever done ever,” ignoring the two. good engines that were in the same area.

Read more: Pensioner warns of ‘fraudulent car park operators’ in Cornwall

Read more: Car stuck on beach heralds start of silly season in Cornwall

Tristan said: “They stole two of the committee’s lawnmowers, including one with a massive hole covered in grass. They stole parts of a boat.

“I had an outboard stolen, which is probably the worst outboard Yamaha has ever made, when there were two good ones next to it. The other day they stole a trailer that is in very bad condition and was only used to transport a boat. from a house 100 meters to the quay.

Footage from the town hall’s CCTV camera shows a white van towing the rusted trailer following an incident between 4.38am and 5.27am on Friday, June 7, involving a Toyota Hi-Ace van. On the Facebook page, another resident reported that their 16-foot Canadian canoe with the name Oi on it was stolen from one of the quay hatches in late May.

Under his post about the theft, the former owner of the canoe said: “I am the former owner of Oi and so gutted it was stolen. So many objects have disappeared from the Quay area. It looks so peaceful, beautiful and quiet, but evil people. they go around taking what is not theirs”.

Another resident also reported that his dark green canoe was stolen despite having anti-theft stickers on it.

Click here to join CornwallLive on WhatsApp and we’ll send you breaking news and top stories straight to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and advertising from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out anytime you want. If you are curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Tristan said the committee was formed to manage and maintain the jetty at Devoran Creek, which, although private land, was given to the village for the public to enjoy. The quay is enjoyed by many visitors, dog walkers, cyclists, boat owners and even swimmers enjoying the river at low tide.

He wonders if the recent increase in criminal activity in the village could coincide with the committee sorting through the old abandoned boats and clearing some of the hedges to keep the quay clean. Tristan added: “Some of the committee were a bit wary about using CCTV because of privacy, but the CCTV camera in the town hall doesn’t really help because we can’t read number plates so it’s not good for the police. I think we will have to have proper CCTV installed on the quays.

“We also installed larger anchor chains and asked people to chain their canoes and boats. Soon we will also put security storage units on the quays”.

Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed they are investigating the latest theft of the trailer. A force spokesman said: “We are currently investigating the theft of a boat trailer in Quay Road, Devoran, near Truro. The trailer is believed to have been stolen between 4am and 6am on Friday 7 June.

“Investigations in this matter are ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or visit our website, quoting crime reference 50240143225.”