Livestock rustlers have stolen more than fifty sheep from farmland in Somerset, with police urging anybody with more information to come forward.
Avon and Somerset Police's Rural Affairs Unit said 56 had been stolen overnight between Tuesday (19 September) and Wednesday (20 September) from a farm in Woolavington.
The sheep stolen, from farmland off Middle Moor Drove, are believed to be Suffolk, Border Leicester and Cheviot breeds.
The Rural Affairs Unit said: "Can you help? Overnight on the 19/09 – 20/09 56 Sheep were stolen from a field off Middle moor Drove, Woolavington.
"Any information in relation to this theft or sightings please call 101 quoting crime ref – 5223229272."
The cost of livestock theft in the UK rose by 8.7% in 2022, totalling an estimated £2.7 million, according to NFU Mutual figures.
Overall, the cost of rural theft in the UK shot up by nearly a quarter last year, as highly organised gangs of criminals continued to plague the countryside.
Claims reported regularly involved over 50 sheep being taken in a single raid, NFU Mutual said.
