Crooks steal 100 trees

Two men uprooted 150 leylandi trees and loaded 100 onto a truck.

Witnesses said the men were 'official looking' and wore luminous jackets.

A police spokesman said: 'This is a sizable theft and someone may have knowledge of a large quantity being offered for sale.

'The theft took place in daylight to avoid raising any concerns with passing motorists.

'If the same activity had taken place at night, people would have viewed their actions as more suspicious.'

The trees were seven to nine feet tall and had been planted for six months.

The roots had not had enough time to anchor into the ground.

Rainfall in the past month would have made the trees easy to pull up from the soft soil.

Police want to talk to motorists using the A275 who can help them with enquiries.

The theft happened at around 9.45am on January 14, police revealed today (January 28).

Call 0845 6070999.