Livestock rustlers have stolen around 500 sheep worth more than £60,000 from a farm in Norfolk.
Norfolk Police are appealing for witnesses following the incident, which occurred at High Elm Farm, situated off the A47 at East Tuddenham.
On Tuesday 15 January, at approximately 9pm, offenders stole the sheep from a field on Sandy Lane, which is situated just off the A47 near to Thomsons Scrap Metal merchants.
Farmer Jack Peacock, 29, said: “We’re seven or eight weeks off lambing now and they can lose them if stressed.
“If they’ve got a two-deck, 30ft lorry they could probably load 130 to 140 sheep on to it in seven or eight minutes. They obviously knew what they were doing.”
Police would like to speak to any witnesses who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area on Tuesday evening including people or vehicles, or from anyone who may have any dash cam footage of the area around the time of the incident.
500 sheep were stolen from a field on Sandy Lane off A47 E. Tuddenham on 15 Jan at approx 9pm East near to Thomsons Scrap Metal. Did you witness any suspicious activity in the area including people/vehicles if so contact 101 quoting crime number 36/3983/19. #CanYouHelp#PC898 pic.twitter.com/YWxRUIJy1L
— Breckland Police (@BrecklandPolice) January 17, 2019
The incident follows a similar theft which happened earlier this month in Dorset, where rustlers stole around 210 lambs from a field near Beaminster.
The increase in livestock crime has led one Scottish farmer to use a revolutionary new marking system in a bid to tackle the issue.
Drummond Estate in Perthshire - which grazes nearly 3,000 sheep across the Glenartney Hills - uses the TecTracer theft-deterrent system.
It is adapted from technology used to discourage the theft of lead from church roofs.
By ingraining thousands of coded microdot markers into each sheep's fleece, the system easily identifies the animal and which farm it comes from, incriminating rustlers at random checks carried out at auction markets, abattoirs or on other farms.
Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with any information should contact Norfolk Police on 101, quoting Op Solve and crime number 36/3983/19. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
