POLICE are appealing for information after 68 sheep were stolen from land at Lewdown at the weekend.

The 68 ewes were taken sometime between 5pm on Saturday, October 4 and 3pm on Monday, October 6.

A police spokesperson said: "We ask for farmers to please be vigilant for any suspicious activity, persons or vehicles present in or around your land, if you have any information please phone 101 quoting 50250258747. 

"We are working with farmers to reduce the impact of this crime. Prevention requires a mix of deterrents, tracking and vigilance."

The police are suggesting a number of tactics to make life more difficult for would-be thieves to steal livestock.

These include blocking unused access points onto land and locking gates or placing boulders; fencing off loading areas so they can’t easily be used; marking sheep and other livestock clearly; knowing who is on your land and letting other farmers know of any unusual activity, be it intrusions by strangers or sales of sheep cheaply without documentation.

They also advise keeping regular head-counts of sheep, particularly in high risk areas, keeping up to date records of livestock and checking fencing for gaps where thieves could gain access.