Tools and garden machinery seized by police

POLICE have seized thousands of pounds worth of tools and items of garden machinery after executing a warrant in Martock.

Officers are appealing for anyone to come forward who may have had items like these stolen and can identify any of the seized tools or equipment.

Five people have already been able to identify some of the items as having been stolen in the Crewkerne and Chard area last summer.

The items were seized after police executed a warrant in October. The first warrant led to two arrests and a second property being searched, where the majority of the items were seized. A small number of cannabis plants were also seized at one of the addresses.

In total, around 60 tools and other items were seized with an estimated average value of around £200 per item.

Equipment and tools seized included chainsaws, hedge trimmers, routers, generators, circular saws, welders, disc cutters, a compressor, a sander, a borer worth an estimated £1,000, jack hammers, power washers and a ride-on lawnmower.

PC Lisa Wright said: "The amount of items seized is believed to be worth well over £10,000. There are a lot of high value items among the equipment and we are keen to reunite as many stolen items as possible with their rightful owners.

"It has taken some time to record and register all the seized items and to contact people who have reported a similar theft to us. We are now keen to widen the appeal for people to come forward as we believe some of the tools may have been stolen across the borders in Devon or Dorset and we know not everyone reports the theft of these types of items or gives detailed information about what has been stolen if they report it."

She added: "Even if the owner has already claimed for the theft of their product on their insurance we would still urge people to come forward so that we can ascertain whether or not the items are stolen."

Three men and a woman have been arrested in connection with this investigation and are currently on police bail.

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