CCTV plan after penguin theft (From Gazette & Herald)

CCTV plan after penguin theft

A PENGUIN stolen from Scarborough's Sea Life Centre will be able to sleep easy in her nest box, thanks to a generous security firm.

Piglet the Penguin made national headlines last week when she was taken from the enclosure she shares with six other rare Peruvian Humboldt penguins at the centre. Luckily, Piglet was retrieved from a garden near the town centre, but she and her partner, George, are being treated for stress.

Their ordeal touched the heart of Chris Browne, managing director of Coastal Security Ltd, in Scarborough, whose firm is now installing £1,000-worth of high-tech night vision cameras overlooking the penguins, completely free of charge.

"Like most people, I was appalled that anyone could pull a prank like this one and concerned to learn that poor Piglet was so stressed by the experience," said Chris.

The CCTV cameras, connected to remote monitors and digital hard drive recorders, will use infra-red light so that they will not disturb the penguins.

Sea Life boss Iain Hawkins said: "We are immensely grateful to Chris and his colleagues for helping all of us, not just the penguins, to sleep a bit more soundly at night." He said £700-worth of donations from members of the public would also go towards extra security measures.

An 18-year-old from Scarborough has been arrested in connection with the theft of Piglet.

Updated: 12:06 Wednesday, May 26, 2004