A CRATE of pies, 18 pieces of cod and a box of jumbo sausages were stolen when thieves broke in to a Hampshire garden centre.

Burglars stole the food, which included 48 savoury pies, during a raid on Arturi's in Fair Oak.

Two wire fences were cut to gain entry to the company premises on Allington Lane and a shed was also entered.

A yellow transformer, used to power lighting, was also stolen, taking the value of the haul up to £125.

PC Paul Osborne, of Eastleigh police station, said: “Due to the size and weight of the items stolen we believe it is likely that the offenders would have used a vehicle in order to transport the goods. The closest place a vehicle could have been parked is on Allington Lane.

“We would therefore urge anyone who may have seen any suspicious vehicles parked on Allington Lane, or any suspicious behaviour in the area, during the relevant times to contact police. We would also like to hear from anyone who may have been offered these food items for sale.”

Anyone with any information about the incident, which happened sometime between 5pm on Friday and 8.45am on Saturday, should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.