POLICE are warning residents to be vigilant after a spate of burglaries in the Bossington and Allerford areas at the weekend.

Thieves broke into outbuildings and sheds at five different properties overnight between Sunday and Monday.

While they left many of the premises empty-handed, they did get away with a quantity of fishing gear.

In the first break-in, the offenders forced padlocks and searched five outbuildings at a single property in Bossington but nothing was stolen.

Two other properties in Bossington were also targeted. At one, a metal bar was forced off a door and a detached stable block was also searched but police said they did not know if anything was taken.

At the third property, padlocks were cut off two sheds but nothing was stolen.

In Allerford, the thieves broke into two outbuildings at one property but, despite leaving items strewn across a garden, they only took a green petrol can.

However, at a second property in the village they took the screws out of the hinges of an outbuilding and stole what police described as "heavy angling equipment for carp and bass fishing".

A rod and a tent were discarded in the grounds of a neighbouring property.

Police urged anyone with information about the thefts and break-ins to get in touch.

"We would like to hear from anyone who may be offered cheap fishing equipment for sale or who may have seen something suspicious at the time of the break-ins," a police spokesman said.

Anyone with information should phone the police on 101 and ask for PC Jeff Trimmings of Dulverton police station.