Fifers plea for return of two stolen tortoises

Police are probing the theft of the two beloved reptiles from a back garden.

Dave and Louise Conacher initially thought their female tortoise April had somehow managed to break out of her enclosure in Ceres. Her disappearance sparked a frantic search but she was no-where to be seen.

However, the couple called police after their male tortoise Toby also disappeared two days later.

Louise said she and Dave inherited the tortoises from her parents and they were very much part of the family.

She said: “They are fairly big tortoises and would be worth a good few hundred pounds, but it’s not the money. It’s the sentimental value of them.

“One of them is about 150-years-old and the other one we found about 34 years ago when we were on holiday, so they’ve been in my family pretty much all my life.

“My mum took not well and had a fall, so we decided to take them in and take the pressure off so she could come and visit them.

“She passed away in June and two-and-a-half months later these have been taken.

“We’d really like to have them back.”

The couple last saw April around about 5.30pm on Sunday. Toby’s disappearance some time between 12.30pm and 3.10pm on Tuesday prompted police involvement.

Louise added: “We’re 100 per cent certain they’ve been stolen after Toby went missing.

“He’s very dopey. He’ll just sit there in the rain if it’s raining. There was an indentation where he had been sound asleep. He’s literally been lifted out of his box.”

Dave posted an appeal on Facebook for information and said he was “absolutely gutted and livid” that someone would steal two family pets.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers are investigating the theft of two tortoises from a property in the Ceres area of Fife.

“They were reported stolen around 7.30pm on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Anyone who can help should contact Police Scotland on 101.