THERE is growing anger over the crime wave in Derry following a spate of burglaries in the past two weeks.
One particularly vile incident involved a raid on the home of an elderly couple – while the woman was visiting her husband in hospital.
Thieves broke into a safe where the couple had kept their life’s savings and took the lot. (We are carrying Noeleen O’Hagan’s comments in full below).
SDLP Councillor Mark O’Donnell has called on home-owners to be vigilant after a spate of attempted burglaries in the Shantallow area with one mum forced to flee her home.
The Shantallow councillor said: “This has become an all too regular occurrence in the past couple of months, I would call on all property owners to secure their homes and make lives for these opportunistic burglars all the more difficult”
He added: “I would also call on people to keep an eye on their neighbours homes and property and to report anything suspicious.”
“In a particularly disturbing incident in Glenabbey last night a mother fled her home after burglars were disturbed by a neighbour, Nobody should be left to feel unsafe in their own home and I will be liaising with the PSNI in the coming days to discuss this incident among others.”
Here’s what Noeleen wrote about the raid on her parents’ home:
Hello folks I don’t normally put personal information on Facebook, however I need help. On the 13th of February my parents house was burgled whilst my dad was visiting my mum in hospital. My dad had a heart attack the week before and was in hospital for stents he got out and mum went in. We decided that we would not go public with information as we did not feel that my mum needed to know about this until she was on the mend. My parents are good, honest hard working people and my dad has worked all his life, like a lot of people they kept their money at home in a safe in their wardrobe. A substantial amount of money was stolen, my dad was due to retire this year and they had money aside for travelling and enjoying their well deserved years of retirement. The money will never be seen again I am sure and while my parents and family are devastated the real sadness is the loss of the jewellery that meant so much to them. Jewellery that no money can buy as it was handed down from grandparents and has sentimental value. I would ask you please to share this as there are three items in particular that is special to them.
A large, heavy gold chain which is about 22/25 inches long with a miraculous medal of Our lady and Saint Rita.
A gold ring with two opal stones (looks like two pearls opposite each other).
A gold signet ring with a raised gold rose, the rose was slightly loose and my mum put it the safe until she got it repaired.
There was a lot of other jewellery belcher chains bracelets etc.
It is a really testing time for us as a family, but my parents have great faith and have said that they hope whoever took their possessions must have really needed the money more than they did and they hoped that it would help them out as it was hard earned honest money.
The burglary took place on Friday the 13th February at approximately between 8 and 10pm. It was in Northland Avenue backing onto Northland Parade. Please, if anyone seen any unusual activity around this time get in touch with the police.
If anyone reads this and knows where the jewellery is please return it, drop it into a chapel or somewhere so that we can get it back where it belongs. It wont mean much to anyone else but it means the world to my parents.
Sorry for depressing everyone with this, so here is something to cheer you up. On that very same day I was at Quayside shopping mall in Tesco, wee Margaret (the bird lady as she is known to many in town) was sitting in the mall on a seat. A man with grey hair who was leaving Tesco with roses walked over to her and said ” Happy Valentines day Margaret”. Margaret was overwhelmed she could not believe it, her whole face smiled as she ran around Tesco to every cashier and customer waving her rose in the air and dancing. Every person there was delighted for her. I have never seen anybody so excited about a gift. I choose to remember how good people are and not the bad. I felt privileged to have witnessed such a kind act and I am sure I will see many more over my lifetime.
Please Share x
