GARDAI in Sligo are investigating an incident where diesel was siphoned from lorries.
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It is understood that diesel was siphoned from trucks at Cawley Commercials in Sligo, who released still shots taken from CCTV footage.
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From the pictures, a group of men can be seen applying an apparatus to a parked lorry to extract the fuel.
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Also, a white Ford Transit van can been seen parked some distance away from the lorry as the incident unfolded.
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Cawley Commercials issued a statement via their Facebook page which detailed the incident.
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“Last Saturday morning [January 19] at 4.30am we had diesel stolen from a number of trucks at our workshop,” they said.
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They go on to explain that three men were at the scene with the white Transit van.
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Meanwhile, gardai in Sligo have appealed to business owners to be vigilant.
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“We are asking business owners to be vigilant following an increase in thefts involving ‘siphoning of fuel’ from HGVs and trucks,” they said this week.
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They have urged anyone with information regarding the taking of fuel to contact them at Sligo Garda Station on 071 91 57 000.

Gardai are carrying out enquiries following two car fires which occurred in Sligo town this morning.

The first incident happened in the Connaughton Road car park when a vehicle was broken into and set alight. Gardai attended the scene at approximately 6.30am and the fire was extinguished by the Sligo Fire Services at 6.50am.

The second incident occurred in the car park of Sligo Cathedral a short time later when a vehicle was set alight. Gardai attended the scene at 7am and the fire was brought under control by the Sligo Fire Services at 7.41am.

No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.

The coldest temperature in the country last year was recorded in Sligo but the county also experienced heat, storm and a bit of snow in what was a year of extremes weather-wise in Ireland.

The year began with Storm Eleanor bringing strong winds on January 2 and after a cold and dry February Storm Emma at the beginning of March gave widespread snow in a cold and changeable month.

The Government’s emergency taskforce issued warning of “serious and life-threatening” blizzard conditions which did cause widespread disruption in many parts of the south and east but thankfully not as badly in Sligo.

Things were radically different in the summer with heatwave and drought conditions in many places towards the end of June continued into early July in several places lasting longest in the South and East.

This prompted warnings in relation to health, fires and possible water shortages as temperatures soared.

Changeable weather returned towards the end of July and continued in the North and West for much of August.

For more on this story, pick up this week’s Sligo Weekender newspaper. In shops now.

Tesco workers in Sligo, who are members of the Mandate trade union, are on strike today, Thursday.

It is the first of two planned days of action, with notice also served for a second on Friday of next week, December 14.

Tesco say the store will be open as usual.

Mandate members at Tesco’s Carrick-on-Shannon store have also voted for industrial action and served strike notice for Saturday, December 22.

The Sligo store voted in favour of industrial action by a margin of 97pc, with an 85pc turnout in the ballot. Carrick-on-Shannon also had an 85pc turnout, with 81pc voting in favour of strike.

Mandate say that there is a possibility more dates will be added and other stores may join their colleagues in the coming weeks and months “should the company not abide by agreements and allow their workers’ their right to collective representation”.

Mandate Trade Union General Secretary John Douglas claimed that Tesco has refused to engage with their workers on pay and conditions, on the removal of canteens and break room facilities, that they have refused to pay some workers a cost of living pay increase and have breached collective agreements.

Tesco has claimed that the action is in breach of the company and union’s agreed procedures which are to refer disputes to the Workplace Relations Commission.

A spokesperson said that if Mandate proceeds with the “proposed unwarranted one-day strike actions for the two stores, both will continue to remain open to serve customers”.

The Tesco spokesperson also said: “We regret that Mandate is inflicting this inconvenience on our customers in December when our stores are at their busiest and particularly given these stores are close to the Border.”

A man who seriously assaulted and robbed an elderly man in Sligo has been sentenced to serve nine years in prison.

The victim, who is in his 80s, was left tied up after being badly beaten and was not discovered for 29 hours.

Stefan Schaufler (51), whose address was given as River Road in Cartron Point in Sligo, had pleaded guilty at Sligo Circuit Court on Tuesday to assault causing serious harm to Michael Lally, falsely imprisoning Mr Lally, robbing him of his wallet, bank card, house keys and car keys and taking his vehicle at River Road in Carton on June 20, 2018.

The court heard that Schaufler was a tenant of Michael Lally’s at his property in River Road.
Sentencing was adjourned by Judge Francis Comerford until this morning, Thursday.

At the court this morning the judge sentenced Schaufler to 15 years, with six years suspended, on the charge of false imprisonment. He imposed the same sentence on the charge of assault causing serious harm.

Judge Comerford imposed a sentence of seven years for the robbery of the wallet, bank cards and keys and a sentence of two and half years for taking the car.

All sentences are to run concurrent, meaning Schaufler will serve a total of nine years in prison.

Details of the case in today’s Sligo Weekender newspaper – in shops now