BEEB ON CRIMEWATCH ALERT AS THIEF NABS CHEQUEBOOK; EXCLUSIVE: Be

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Apr 22, 2001 | by OHN CASSIDY

IT COULD be a case for television sleuth Nick Ross and his Crimewatch team to crack...a chequebook and cash were stolen from a member of staff....at the BBC in Belfast!

Now Beeb chiefs at Broadcasting House in Ormeau Avenue have sent out an alert advising staff to guard their valuables against a light- fingered thief.

The warning was sounded after a member of staff informed management of the theft.

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that the thief had cashed one cheque in the owner's name before the victim had noticed the chequebook had gone missing.

Security chiefs in the building were alerted and an investigation was immediately launched.

Staff working with the victim were quizzed to see if they had spotted any suspicious behaviour.

Despite extensive enquiries, neither the thief nor the chequebook and cash have been found.

Sources said BBC Northern Ireland boss Ann Carragher was "appalled" that a thief was on the loose in the building.

"She was outraged when she was told. The last thing she wants in her building is a thief. We do not need such dishonest people in the workplace," said a source.

The BBC refused to comment on the theft.

A spokeswoman would only say: "We do not, as a matter of policy, comment on internal security matters."

Staff said they were shocked when they were informed of the theft by an internal memo.

They said the incident had led to a climate of "fear" and "mistrust" in the building.

A BBC worker told the Sunday Mirror: "People feel under suspicion because of what happened.

"It is a terrible feeling coming to work knowing that you could be working next to a thief.

"It is also very worrying because nobody knows who the next victim will be until this thief is caught.

"And it seems we nowhere nearer to finding out who the person is."

As Nick Ross would say at the end of his monthly hour-long Crimewatch programme: "Don't have nightmares. Do sleep tight."

Last week, UTV presenter Pamela Ballantine was robbed in the university area of Belfast.

She had just got into her car and was about to drive off when the thieves struck.

One opened the passenger door and grabbed her handbag while the other acted as a lookout.

Pamela said: "We wrestled a bit and I thought to myself this is going nowhere.

"I knew I had to attract attention so I took one hand off the bag and blared the horn and started screaming."

The robber rummaged ran off with her purse containing money and personal items.