A farmer is currently scouring the countryside of Cavan searching for a tractor and square bailer set stolen from his yard overnight on Tuesday. Derek Thornton had his 1992 CASE International 856 XL tractor and New Holland 274 conventional bailer stolen from his yard on Stragowna Road, Kinawley.
The CASE Tractor has a black body with a red bonnet and mudguards and 13 x 38 tyres. The red bailer has yellow reels.
Speaking to Northern Sound from Ballyconnell, where he was driving around searching for his machinery, Derek said he believes the machinery was stolen to order. Whoever took the tractor and bailer left behind a more modern Manitou, road sweeper and slurry pump.
The missing set is even more distinguishable by the fact that the Fermanagh farmer had put on a new driveshaft cover on the tractor and had removed the guards off the chains on the bailer before he stored them away in a shed for the winter. Derek Thornton is offering a reward for their return and said if they're returned to his yard no further questions will be asked: "It's distinguishable because there's not many of them 856 4WD about and she's an XL cab," Derek told Northern Sound, "The bailer would be more distinguishable because there's a couple of guards off her because I had them off to grease her before putting her away and I put a new cover of the driveshaft, a black cover."
