Strabane: Condemnation after lifebuoys vandalised

Independent councillor Raymond Barr says three life rings near lower Main Street were removed and thrown into the River Mourne on Friday

A councillor has warned that vandalism of lifebuoys in Strabane, County Tyrone, is putting lives at risk.

Independent councillor Raymond Barr said that three life rings near lower Main Street were removed and thrown into the River Mourne on Friday.

He said it was just the latest in a series of attacks in the area in recent months.

He said a number of throw-lines had also been tampered with, making them unusable.

The police said the lifebuoys were removed from their holdings on Friday and recovered by a member of the public.

'An ongoing problem'

Western district commander for the Community Rescue Service, Ivan Barr Jr, said the tampering of rescue equipment near local waterways had become an ongoing problem.

"The real danger here is if someone had needed to use this equipment and it was not there," Mr Barr Jr told BBC News NI.

He said his team helped retrieve the lifebuoys after being alerted a member of the public.

The life rings were later fished out by members of the Community Rescue team

"These life rings can cost upwards of £100 so we are very fortunate to get these back because they are very expensive to replace," he said.

"We've had incidents of removal of life rings and other equipment near Strabane Canal and also as far as Sion Mills, so it has become an ongoing problem."

He said his own teams were put in danger when they had to enter the water to retrieve equipment which could not be fished out from the shoreline.

He called on those responsible to think of the harm their actions could cause if someone needed this equipment.