Criminals have stolen 100kg of strawberries worth hundreds of pounds from a Kent farm.
The incident happened between midnight on Friday and 10am on Monday (30 June and 3 July), Kent Police said.
A Police statement said: “The fruit had recently been coated with a chemical to help growth which can cause poisoning to the stomach.
“There have been previous incidents of theft at the farm and it is believed the same people are responsible for the latest incident.”
A police spokeswoman sought to calm fears over the chemical, saying: “It has come to my attention that the strawberries mentioned do not pose a risk to public health.”
The criminals struck Hill Farm in Ulcombe. The farm has been targeted by thieves in the past.
People with information about the missing strawberries are urged to call Kent Police on 01622 604100 quoting YY/018046/17 or anonymously contact Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
