AN APPEAL IS being issued by police who are trying to track down 50 sheep that have been stolen from a farm in the Alves area.

The sheep, all a year old, are a mixture of Cheviot and Black-Face and were taken from a site in the Coltfield area at some point from mid-day on Wednesday (May 3) and the morning after.

Leading the investigation is PC Katherine Powell: “The theft of such a large number of sheep would have required careful planning and the use of vehicles to transport the animals away from the area.

“I would urge any members of the public who saw anyone or anything suspicious around the times in question to please get in touch if you think your information could help.

“We take rural crime extremely seriously as part of our day-to-day policing in the North East, and I can assure the local and rural communities that crimes of this nature will not be tolerated. We are lucky to live in a relatively safe and crime-free region, however, given this recent incident I would urge people to be extra vigilant and take measures and precautions to protect your property.

“We take every opportunity to share knowledge and information with officers across the force area to minimise and prevent the number of crimes that take place.

“Anyone with information can contact Police on 101 quoting incident number 0968 of 05/04 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 in confidence.”