Police are investigating a series of incidents at a Steeple Ashton alpaca farm.
Over the past two weeks Ashton Lane Alpacas, in Mudmead Lane, has been burgled and two quad bikes have been destroyed in an arson attack.
The owners, Peter and Carol Watt, have been left with a £152 vets’ bill after one of their horses was apparently let out of its stable during the night and was then bitten by a dog.
Mr Watt said: “It’s bizarre. First we had a horse that had been taken out of the stable and ridden. It was bitten by dogs and we’ve been left with a £152 vets’ bill.
“Then we were burgled, some drills were taken and locks broken. A few days later, our quads were removed from a secure place and set fire to.”
In that latest incident, last Thursday night, the locks securing the quad bikes to a tractor were broken and they were dragged into the middle of a field and set alight.
Mr Watt said the loss of the quad bikes was having a real effect on his business, which sells the fleeces from the 40-strong alpaca herd.
He said: “It’s having a big impact on my business. I’m usually up and down the fields every day with paddock cleaner; it’s like a massive vacuum cleaner for manure. I can’t do that without the quads. We’re waiting to hear from the insurance company to see if we can replace them.”
Pc Emily Thomas, of the Melksham Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We are continuing to investigate these incidents at Ashton Lane Alpacas. Arson is a serious crime.”
Anyone with information about the incidents at Ashton Lane Alpacas can call Wiltshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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