Nineteen sheep worth thousands of pounds have been stolen in Aberdeenshire.

The pregnant ewes are said to have been taken from Berryleas, near Fordyce in Banff, between December 5 and January 22.

Valued at £3,000, the sheep are of the English Mules breed.

Police Scotland said the theft of such a large number of sheep “would have required planning and the use of vehicles to transport the animals away from the area”.

Officers are appealing for the public to report anyone or anything suspicious seen around the time the sheep were stolen.

A police spokesperson said: “I would urge people to be extra vigilant and take measures and precautions to protect your property.

“We take every opportunity to share knowledge and information with officers across the force area to minimise and prevent the number of crimes that take place.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101, quoting incident number CF0019140121.