Boat owners in Wychavon are being urged to help police by securely stowing away their boat lifting straps which may be being stolen by criminals to use in cash machine thefts.

The heavy-duty straps are generally only used to lift boats in and out of the water, but officers suspect they have been used to rip out the machines in a couple of recent incidents in south Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

One of the incidents took place at the One Stop Store on High Street, Evesham around 1am on Boxing Day where offenders used heavy lifting straps that may have been taken from a boat attached to a car to remove a machine from the building. Investigations are ongoing into this incident.

Police are asking boat owners to lock the straps away securely overnight and have asked them to remain vigilant of any suspicious activity near their vessel or at boat yards.

Anyone who has further information about any recent thefts of straps or any suspicious activity around cash machines should report it to us via our website at Report A Crime | West Mercia Police .