The Harbour Police are investigating a report of a robbery onboard a Stena Line ferry to Belfast from Birkenhead last week.
Kevin Shields, who is from Birmingham, was travelling to Belfast overnight on Thursday to spend time with family when he noticed belongings missing from his car, which was parked in the ferry deck. He says passengers were advised by staff to disable their car alarms, to minimise disruption to those in the cabins.
But when Kevin struggled to disable his, he left his car unlocked, knowing that the deck would be locked and secure during the sailing to Belfast. On return to his vehicle, he said a mobile phone and other items were gone.
Read more: World War 2 type grenade found declared as 'viable device' by PSNI
Read more: PSNI officer hospitalised after being 'headbutted, kicked and spat at' in 'horrific attack'
Speaking to Belfast Live, he said: "At the car deck, the tanoy was constantly announcing to passengers with a vehicle, to come and disable the alarms.
"I couldn't find a way to disable mine, so I left my car open because I was told that the doors would be locked, and that nobody was allowed into the deck. I went up to the bar for a drink, and we hadn't set sail yet, but the announcement was still coming through, for motorists to disable alarms.
"This is when I believe the thief took the opportunity to go back to the deck. When I arrived in Belfast, I went back to the car and immediately noticed my car charger was missing.
"I looked in the glove box at the side of the seat and noticed a phone was missing. I went to the information desk to report it/ A guy came over and I told him the story but they said there wasn't a lot that they could do.
"When I went back to the car, I had a good look round and noticed other items missing from the boot. I'd imagine it would be around £800 worth of material things.
"There was CCTV on the deck, but when I enquired about this to the staff, I was told that only the police could look at it."
Kevin says he reported the incident to the Harbour Police on Friday who are now investigating it. He now wants to make other people aware that whether or not they can disable their alarm onboard, to make sure they are locking their cars.
"I can understand why alarms need to be disabled," he added.
"But the security needs to be tightened for deck access. For other people who may be travelling the same way, I want them to be aware that this has happened to me."
In a statement to Belfast Live, a spokesperson for Stena Line said: "Stena Line is sorry to hear of the issue a passenger had on one of its vessels this week. The company can confirm that a passenger did report that their mobile phone was missing during vehicle disembarkation in Belfast on 26 th August.
"Company has not been contacted by the Belfast Harbour Police to access CCTV, but is happy to assist them with their enquiries. The vehicle decks are locked during the crossing, but the company advises all passengers to keep any valuables safely locked in their cars at all times.
"Passengers are requested to disable their car alarms at the start of the crossing on our Belfast – Birkenhead route. This is to reduce disturbance to other passengers overnight.
"If any of our passengers have trouble disabling their car alarms, then they should request assistance from our crew members who will be happy to help them."
The Harbour Police also added: "Belfast Harbour Police is currently investigating an allegation of theft from a vehicle during a recent ferry crossing to Belfast. As this is a live investigation, no further details can be released at this stage."
READ NEXT:
Cinemas across NI offering £3 tickets to celebrate National Cinema Day
West Belfast cross-community building plan recommended for approval
East Belfast alley gates: Details of 36 proposed sites revealed
Mid Ulster recycling centres request ID as nearby council strike spills over
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
