Mystery thefts puzzle sign maker

A FED-UP local businessman has put up a reward to try and solve the mystery behind a series of thefts of signs directing customers to his premises in Dublin 15.

Glenn Trout, who ironically owns a sign making business, is puzzled as to who keeps stealing the signs from the busy N3 road that point the way to his manufacturing plant.

“I’ve a sign out there in the N3 going back to 1993 but in the last few years it keeps going missing and it’s getting a bit expensive at this stage,

? he told Northside People.

“It’s all a bit sinister. I’m sure they’re not being taken for scrap because some of them are wooden frames. I don’t know who’s behind this but I have my suspicions.

?

Glenn has tried different versions of signs to try and prevent the thefts and has even set the last two in concrete to try and put an end to the problem.

“I just want to draw attention to it because somebody might know where in God’s name the signs are being dumped,

? he said.

“Somebody out there knows something so I’m putting up a e300 reward if someone can provide information about where the sign is or who’s behind all this.

“What we’ve noticed is that when the sign goes, our business drops off. It takes a while to replace the frame and get the sign out again. When some people don’t see the sign they think we’ve gone bust or something.

“We depend on passing trade and things have been bad enough over the past couple of years with the recession and that without this.

?

The most recent theft took place between midnight on Friday, February 14 and 7am on Saturday, February 15 and Glenn believes somebody must have witnessed it.

“It’s a busy road and it would have taken a bit of time to take down the sign. They’d have had to have a van, a truck or some kind of a trailer pulled in at the side of the road.

?

Local councillor, David McGuinness (FF), said he’s confident any witnesses would be more than willing to help Glenn get to the bottom of the mystery.

“The signs have cost him a lot of money and because of their installation it would have taken someone a considerable amount of time to remove the signage,

? he said.

“This is a local business employing local workers who is calling for some assistance. I have no doubt that the people of Dublin 15 will help him out.

?