HORSE owners are mounting late night vigils to catch thieves targeting stables in the Bishop Auckland area.

A group from a village outside the town is working with police to trap the culprits, who raid isolated properties stealing hay, feed, generators, rugs, and even ducklings and new-born lambs.

Some stables and smallholdings have been hit several times, even though owners have stepped up security after earlier raids.

Horseboxes have also been broken into and their diesel tanks drained.

One said: "It has gone too far. We have had enough and have decided to fight back.

"We have formed an alliance via the Horsewatch scheme and, with help from the local police, are determined to put a stop to the thefts.

"We work really hard to keep our animals and many of us spend our last hard-earned penny on them.

"It is really too much to go in and find there is nothing for the horses to eat. For people like this to take food from the mouths of animals is as low as they can get.

"We think it is the same people time and time again and we are determined to catch them.

"We have been out on patrol every single night. It is very tiring, but we will do anything to protect our horses."

Over the past few weeks the group has passed on several vehicle registration numbers to police and is also circulating photographs to people on farms and smallholdings.

The spokesman said: "The police are helping us a lot and are looking out themselves.

"We don't want to give too much away about what we are doing or say exactly who or where we are, but we are as determined to catch these people as they are to steal from us."

Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call police on 0845 6060365 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.