Beware of theft on A74
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• Hauliers should avoid an isolated stretch of dual carriageway in Scotland following a number of night time raids on parked lorries, say police.
A spate of thefts have taken place alongside the 16-mile stretch of the A74 between Johnstonebridge and Beattock Summit which is heavily used by hauliers delivering between England and Glasgow.
The latest theft involved 16 Hitachi TV sets valued at £5,000 taken on the night of 19 July from a curtainsided trailer parked at the Coatesgate service area while the driver slept in his cab. The vehicle, which was slashed open, belonged to Dumfries-based haulier Curries Transport Services.
Chief Inspector Alan Carruthers of Dumfries and Galloway police is urging drivers to be on their guard and alert police to anything suspicious.
"A lot of the lay-bys along this route are not very well lit, even the Coatesgate service area,' he says. "Other thefts have included whisky, electrical goods, food and diesel. Curtainsiders are an obvious target," he says.