A Banff woman has urged residents to lock up their houses after her home was targeted by thieves for the fifth time.
Ainsley Gardiner woke up on Monday morning to discover that criminals had made an attempt to break into the cellar of her Bridge Street home while she and her neighbours were asleep.
The doors were left damaged and marks were visible on the locks.
Last night she called for residents living across the coastal community to make sure that their valuables and properties were locked up and secure.
And although nothing was taken on this occasion, she said that the thieves had no way of knowing that she only kept furniture in her basement.
CCTV footage from a business across the street from her house is now in the process of being searched for clues about the person responsible.
“This is a case for keeping things locked up.” she said.
“A lot of people still leave their front doors open and there’s always people going about in the early hours of the morning.
“We’ve lived here for about eight years and this is the fifth time that this happened. Although the street is lit up, it’s narrow and they probably think we’re an easy target.”
Mrs Gardiner, who works at a local hotel, is also a prominent figure in the community for her attempts to get people to eat and shop locally.
She added: “People like this usually get off with it and they’re just going to do it again and again.
“A couple of years ago all the (car) wing mirrors on this street were smashed by vandals – and it’s a lot of money that they’re costing people.
“The only thing you can do is pay out for extra security and locks. People might think £15 is a lot of money to spend on one lock, but it isn’t that much when you’re preventing your valuables from getting stolen.”
Banff has been hit by a spate of break-ins over the last few years.
The town’s rugby club, lifeboat and football team have all been hit by thieves since 2016, leading to calls from locals for a greater police presence in the area.