Unique 18th Century sundial taken

The sundial and the building are category A

A unique sundial dating from the 18th Century has been stolen from the garden of a country house in Fife.

Police are concerned it may have been stolen to order after two "valuable" urns were also stolen days earlier.

The 5ft stone garden ornament was taken from in front of the category A listed house at Boarhills, near St Andrews, between noon and 1800 BST on Thursday.

Police said the sundial's stone base was also removed. They said a vehicle and possibly a trailer were used.

Insp Martin Johncock, of Fife Constabulary, said track marks were left at the scene.

He appealed to anyone who saw people acting suspiciously in the area or anyone who saw a strange vehicle in the area to come forward.

"This was a highly unusual theft of a valuable object which is part of Fife's heritage," Insp Martin Johncock said.

In a separate incident, two "valuable" terracotta urns were stolen from the garden of a country house near Dairsie, between Friday 20 October and Sunday 22 October. The 3ft urns were jointly worth more than £1,000.