Vintage tractor stolen in farm raid

Police are hunting thieves who stole two tractors, including a vintage Ford, and a trailer from a farm riding school.

The criminals went on a late-night wrecking spree, smashing their way through wooden and wire fences as they made their getaway.

The gang targeted the Houston Farm Riding School in Uphall, West Lothian, where they first made off with an £8,500 New Holland tractor.

They raced it across a neighbouring farm to escape, but the tractor ended up careering into a 20ft ditch a mile away with its front prongs left sticking into the ground.

Undeterred, they returned to the farm riding school and stole a 40-year-old Ford 3000 tractor and trailer, smashing through more wood and wire fencing to escape on to the road.

The New Holland tractor was recovered, but the other, a vintage blue Q-registration Ford worth £1,800, and the trailer remain outstanding.

The victims said 230 metres of fencing and three gates were destroyed during the raid.

A police spokesman said: “This vintage tractor is fairly distinctive so we would appeal for anyone who may have seen it on the roads to contact us.”

Organised gangs of thieves have targeted agricultural and industrial machinery across West Lothian in recent years, with several tractors among the property stolen.

• For more on rural crime see our dedicated page including details of our Crime Register.