The Island’s extended blackout in the aftermath of two storms presented some opportunities for break-ins — starting with a store in Flatts that was burgled just after Hurricane Gonzalo knocked out electricity last weekend.

One Smith’s resident reported a downed cedar tree stolen from a neighbour’s yard under the cover of darkness, by intruders using a truck and power tools — which residents mistakenly took to be Belco workers busy with power restoration.

Although police said there had been no surge in burglaries in the aftermath of Gonzalo and Tropical Storm Fay, there have been reports of attempted generator thefts and the attempted stealing of roof slates.

One woman, who requested not to be named as her home is still in the dark, described a double burglary attempt on her home. Asked if she believed the would-be thief had taken advantage of the blackout, she said: “Absolutely.”

However, in both cases her precautions worked. She said: “I woke up, went out in the dark to start my generator and noticed that somebody had unplugged it. Luckily I had bike locks — I’d locked it to the wall. But when I started the generator it wasn’t working properly. When the burglar unplugged it, they tripped the breaker.

“When it got light, I went into my bedroom — and that’s when I noticed the screen was open.” In that case, someone had tried to gain entry, but was stopped by the bars across the window.

Police have urged residents to watch over their repair supplies, as well as generators, as the clean-up and loss of power continues into a third week in parts of the Island.