An Angus farmer has told how thieves hacked off the padlock of a farm shop “honesty box” and made off with the takings after disabling a security camera.
David Swanston of Pert Farm, north of Montrose, said most people left cash in the box for the produce they took from the unmanned shop that is a wooden shed on the Hillside to Northwaterbridge road.
The shed sits near to the junction leading to Gallery, north of Pert Farm, and has been there since 2005.
“Everything is priced in the shop,” said Mr Swanston, who runs farm business J. D. Milne and partners with his brother and mother.
“Ninety nine per cent of folk are dead honest and tot up how much they are due for their produce and just put it into the locked honesty box.”
He said the shop could take up to £80 a day, but he doesn’t know how much was in the box when thieves broke it open between 8am and 5pm last Friday.
“We have had stuff stolen off the shelves before, but nobody has ever cut the padlock off. They must have had bolt cutters.
“The honesty box just has a hinge lid and they could open it up and lift out the container inside and take it home to count the money.”
Mr Swanston said it was sickening but would not deter his family from keeping the shop open. It was “a wee side line,” but the turnover did not warrant having somebody in the shop.
He said he was in the habit of stocking the shop in the morning and then just looking in periodically.
“The first thing I noticed when I went in was the security camera had been pointed towards the floor,” said Mr Swanston.
“We sell eggs, jam and veg and just about everything is home grown. You put in all the hard work and somebody comes in and does this.”
Police are appealing for information and are keen to trace a white Transit-style van seen in the area at about 4pm, about an hour before the theft was discovered.
Anyone with information should call 0300 111 2222, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.