Thieves steal 2,000 partridges

Two thousand partridges worth £8,000 have been stolen from a farm.

West Mercia Police said the birds were taken from a breeding centre in Downton on the Rock, on the Shropshire-Herefordshire border.

A spokesman said around 10,000 partridges had been reared at the farm to be released into the wild before the autumn shooting season.

The owner discovered 2,000 were missing while carrying out a count of his stock on September 15.

It is thought the birds were taken along with rearing equipment over the August bank holiday weekend.

"It's obvious that this farm was deliberately targeted by people who knew what they were after," said the spokesman.

"It is likely they used a lorry to transport these birds but unfortunately we do not have a description of any vehicle involved."

West Mercia Police are appealing for information.