Thieves burrow a way in to steal chickens

Ten chickens have been stolen from a West Midlands field, their owner revealed today.

Thieves dug a hole under an enclosure to steal the birds belonging to Sarah Rathbone, from Perton, near Wolverhampton.

Mrs Rathbone, a 36-year-old vet's assistant told today how she went down to check on the birds on Friday and to collect some eggs when she noticed some of the gates to their pen were open.

"I thought initially that something was not quite right," she said. "I presumed someone had just left them open by mistake. But then I saw no eggs had been laid and discovered the chickens were missing.

"I really miss them. I can't believe this has happened." Thieves also took two metal water and food containers from inside the enclosure.

Mother-of-two Mrs Rathbone had been keeping the birds in the field off County Lane, Albrighton, Shropshire, for two-and-a-half-years.