Residents living in rural areas are being warned to be vigilant after equipment - and sheep - were stolen from farms in West Dorset.

At about 3am on Tuesday, June 12, a Kubota RTV was stolen from the home address of a farm worker in Abbotsbury. The vehicle was fitted with a tracker and, together with the owner, police officers located it near to a field entrance on Bishops Road.

Officers, assisted by the NPAS helicopter, carried out a search of the area for the offenders but no one was found. During this search they came across an Ifor Williams cattle trailer, which looked like it had been abandoned in Coombe Road.

The trailer’s owner was contacted and they were unaware it had been stolen. It is believed the theft happened some time between 4.20pm on Monday, June 11, and 3.30am on Tuesday, June 12.

Both vehicles will be returned to the owners.

A number of enquiries are underway to identify the people responsible for the thefts, including house-to-house visits and CCTV enquiries.

A dark coloured 4x4 vehicle has been caught on CCTV at the relevant time but no other detail was captured.

Police Community Support Officer Tom Balchin, of Dorset Police’s rural crime team, said: “Thefts such as these can have a real financial impact on victims and we are very pleased to have been able to return the vehicles to their rightful owners.

“I would urge members of our farming and rural communities to make sure they protect their property by following our crime prevention advice.

“Finally, I would ask anyone with information about either of these thefts to please contact Dorset Police.”

Police are also appealing for public help after equipment and sheep were taken from a field near Loders.

Seven lambs were taken overnight on May 21, along with a Hotline electric fencer unit and battery.

It is unknown if the thieves were disturbed and had planned to take more, with 10 sheep originally thought to be stolen but three being located nearby.

Extensive searches and assistance from the farming community have taken place but the owners have not located the animals.

The lambs were born in March and are either Dorset or Texel crosses.

PC Claire Dinsdale, of Dorset Police's Rural Crime Team, said: "We take the theft of livestock very seriously. It has a substantial impact on farmers and causes them constant worry they will be targeted again. The farmer spent the night watching over the rest of the flock in fear the thieves would be back.

"The animals themselves can be transported and kept in very poor conditions with no regard for their welfare. These animals can enter the food chain without any regards for the strict controls that protect the public from contaminated meat. This sort of crime, therefore, has wider safety implications to us all.

"I would ask anyone with any information about livestock theft or the illegal meat trade to contact Dorset Police."

Those who see any suspicious activity are asked to take the vehicle registration and contact police.

Anyone with information about the thefts can contact Dorset Police on 101, quoting crime number 55180089869 for the RTV incident, 55180089878 for the cattle trailer incident or 55180077683 for the sheep incident.

For crime prevention advice, visit dorset.police.uk/ruralcrime