People 'totally flummoxed' by stolen village signs

The main sign in the Suffolk hamlet was stolen earlier this week

The theft of two metal village signs has left residents "totally flummoxed", a parish councillor said.

The handmade signs depicted a farmer using horses to plough a field and were installed in Monk Soham, in Suffolk, in 2012.

Julian Sayer said the signs had cost the council about £600 originally but were of little monetary value to anyone else, and were taken in two separate incidents during the week.

Suffolk Police confirmed it was investigating the theft of the "Suffolk Punch horses and ploughman" sign.

The main village sign was taken between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, from School Road in the hamlet, said Mr Sayer.

"It's just gone - someone's pinched it, and if that wasn't enough at the other end of the village, the notice board with a smaller sign on top... went on Wednesday night or Thursday morning."

The sign was taken, leaving only the oak mount and the brick seating area

Mr Sayer said people in the village had "absolutely no idea why we have been targeted" or why the "hand-cut, handmade" signs might be wanted by anyone.

While he described the thief or thieves as "lowlife", Mr Sayer admitted they had "taken [the signs] off very carefully", removing all the bolts and leaving them at the scenes.

"They obviously had the correct tools to take the things off properly without damaging them," he added.

Mr Sayer said the thefts were "very strange" and the signs were of "absolutely no use to anyone as they have the word Monk Soham on... and scrap value is virtually nil as they're a laser-cut pierced sign".

"They were a very prominent part of our community," he said.

"We would like them back. We don't mind how we get them back.

"I'm not being funny here, but we are totally flummoxed by it all."