Enquiries are ongoing after a patio was stolen from outside a property.

The Sussex Police Rural Crime Team have launched a public appeal for information after a large number of stone slabs were lifted in West Chiltington some time since the weekend.

The team believes the thieves could try to sell the items or lay them elsewhere.

A patio has been stolen from a property in West Chiltington Credit: Sussex Police Rural Crime Team

A patio has been stolen from a property in West Chiltington Credit: Sussex Police Rural Crime Team

A spokesman for the force said: "A rural building, currently unused, has had the patio lifted and stolen since last weekend.

"(The stolen items were) slim, good quality 'slabs'. Have you got any related information.

"(This happened) in the Horsham District but they could be relaid or sold elsewhere."

A patio has been stolen from a property in West Chiltington Credit: Sussex Police Rural Crime Team

A patio has been stolen from a property in West Chiltington Credit: Sussex Police Rural Crime Team

The Rural Crime Team say the theft happened at a "West Chiltington property, away from the village centre".

Anyone with information on the incident is urged to contact police quoting reference 802 of 30/3/21.

This is not the first unusual theft in Sussex in the last month.

On the morning of March 2, Storrington residents were left baffled after thieves ripped an entire pavement from a council car park.

It is currently not known if the two incidents are linked.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: "At 11am on Tuesday 2 March police received a report that sometime between Sunday night and Tuesday morning a quantity of York Stone paving had been dug up and stolen from a council car park in Ryecroft Lane, Storrington.

"Anyone with information can contact Sussex Police either online at https://www.sussex.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/ or by calling 101, quoting serial 390 of 02/03."