THIEVES got away with £10,000 worth of tack after forcing their way into a locked stable at Belstone during the weekend.

The theft took place between 6pm on Saturday and 7am on Sunday at Eastlake Riding Stables.

Having forced their way into a locked stable they removed the stirrups from 26 saddles. They then stole the saddles leaving the stirrups in situ.

Manager of the yard Clare White said she was 'gutted' by the theft.

'Because of foot and mouth we were closed for one year. The business was getting back on its feet and then this. Some people just don't seem to care.'

Miss White said the barn was all locked up with heavy duty padlocks. The thieves were unable to get through that so they pulled up a piece of heavy sheeting in the door and squeezed through that.

'It's someone who knew what they wanted and knew what they were doing,' she said.

'As a result of this we have lost a few days' business. It is not nice to think someone came in and took everything.'

Gina Dale, force co-ordinator for the Devon and Cornwall Horsewatch Scheme, who lives in Belstone, said this kind of theft was happening more and more.

She said £6,000 worth of saddles were stolen from the Callington area last week and there was a similar burglary in the Holsworthy area within the last month.

'There has been a big increase in this sort of thing lately because this is the busiest time of the year for these stables.'

She said because of the nature of the business people were able to walk into tack rooms and see if they have CCTV or dogs on the premises and what kind of locks they had.

'It is a nightmare if you own a riding stable because you can only do what you can do security-wise,' said Ms Dale.

'I very much sympathise with anyone who has property taken. Horsewatch can advise that there are things you can do to secure premises and not make it easy for the thief.

'But the determined thief will get in. If that happens at least make sure all the equipment is easily identifiable. People will steal anything from bags of seed to electric clippers.'

She believes the latest theft is likely to have been carried out by an organised gang that has an outlet lined up for the stolen items.

'With the network of roads things can be got away very quickly. And if you don't mark your own equipment you cannot prove it's yours even if it turns up.'

Ms Dale says there have been situations where stolen items have been found but have not been coded — thus preventing proof of ownership.'

Horsewatch holds regular tack marking sessions.

'Marking isn't going to stop something being stolen but it gives you a better than average chance of getting it back if it is recovered elsewhere.'