'Mindless act': Meat worth £20,000 stolen from Cambridgeshire farm

The police said the incident has had a 'devastating effect' on the farm business (Photo: Google)
The police said the incident has had a 'devastating effect' on the farm business (Photo: Google)

Meat worth £20,000 has been stolen from a farm in Cambridgeshire, with the police calling the incident a “mindless act”.

Hundreds of Christmas turkeys, ribs of beef and lamb worth more than £20,000 was stolen from a Huntingdonshire farm.

At 7.47am on Monday 24 December, Cambridgeshire Police were called with reports of the theft at Johnson’s of Old Hurst in Church Street, Old Hurst.

PC Poppy McCullagh said: “This mindless act will have a devastating effect on the business and leave hundreds of families without their turkey dinner this Christmas.

“I am appealing to anyone with information, or who may be offered meat for sale, to contact us.”

Farm shop owner Andy Johnson said about half of the 300 orders he had waiting to go out had been taken in the raid.

The farm has now turned to social media in a request for help.

It said: “Last night Johnsons of Old Hurst was broken into. If anyone knows or has seen anything please make us aware.

“If anyone can lead the Johnsons direct to the culprits there will be an reward.”

Data shows rural crime cost the UK £44.5m in 2017 with the future trend showing a rise in this form of crime as thieves become more brazen as they target the countryside.

The NFU has said that sentences for rural crime must act as a deterrent as concerns grow within the farming industry.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 and quote incident 72 of 24 December.