Gloucestershire rural thefts prompt police warning

A series of high-value thefts has seen quad bikes and farming machinery stolen from rural parts of the Cotswolds.

Gloucestershire Police said there had been a spate of break-ins with thieves forcing their way into outbuildings.

Rural crime officers are set to conduct extra patrols and have asked people to report suspicious behaviour.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) said its members had seen a rise in thefts of items including quad bikes and GPS kits this year.

Police said incidents in Lechlade and Stow-on-the-Wold saw quad bikes stolen and in an incident near Kemble, a container on a farm was broken-in to and high-end gardening equipment worth thousands of pounds taken.