Seven post boxes have been stolen from remote and rural areas of Suffolk in around 10 days – with police believing they could be seen as attractive for their resale value as antiques.

Suffolk Police said there was a pattern of “heritage” style post boxes being taken by thieves and they are treating the incidents as linked.

The first theft was on 7 January in Rickinghall, with later thefts in Wixoe, Cowlinge, Hawkedon, Stoke By Clare, Chedburgh and Depden Green.

The most recent happened overnight Monday into Tuesday.

A force spokesman said: “The theft is either achieved by cutting them from their mounting metal or wood post but, also possibly, by using angle grinders and chainsaws.”

Officers are asking for anyone who has been offered a post box for sale to contact them and for people to be vigilant of suspicious activity and noise, especially at night.

Sergeant Brian Calver, from Suffolk Police’s Rural Crime and Wildlife Team, said: “We know that these are quite valuable and attractive for their antique/collectible resale value, but we are keeping an open mind in that they could be going for their scrap metal value as well.

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“What is definite is that such thefts are a big loss of heritage and identity to the village from where they are stolen from.

“There is also the personal disruption such a theft could cause to individuals who have posted important letters and documents and, that as a consequence, are then sadly lost.”

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