A group of horses roamed dangerously near to ragwort last night, after thieves stole fences from their enclosure. 

Wiltshire Police are urging horse owners in the north of the county to be extra vigilant, after The Stables on Eastrip Lane, in Colerne has repeatedly been targeted by criminals in the last month.

Ten electric fence posts were stolen last night (December 2) and field gates left wide open - which resulted in the horses escaping into fields where potentially deadly ragwort was present.

Other items taken in the night time vists include leather stirrups, gloves, horse medication and food.

The owners of The Stables also found other tack deliberately damaged and covered in a "highly sticky brown liquid" which has either ruined the tack or will require it to be professionally cleaned.

The first incident happened between November 14 and November 28 and the second incident happened overnight on November 29. 

PC Angela Holden, of Wiltshire Police, said: "We'd be interested to hear from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the farm area on those dates.

"The victim is very shaken by this targeting. Not only is equipment used for looking after horses extremely expensive to replace but for gates to be deliberately left open so that the animals could escape, or injure themselves by eating poisonous vegetation, is particularly cruel."

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote crime reference 54200119039 or to call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.