A wild peregrine falcon had to be put down after being illegally trapped and shot in north Suffolk.

Drills and chainsaws were among the items stolen after buildings at rural farms were broken into.

Suffolk Police said the bird of prey was discovered by a member of the public in a field in Cratfield on 15 March and taken to the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary at Stonham Barns.

"Unscrupulous" metal detectorists who hunt treasure under cover of darkness are damaging farmland and stealing Suffolk's heritage, a top rural police officer has warned.

Officers in the county are taking part in the annual operation to deter the theft of rare birds’ eggs now the nesting season is underway.

A residential shed was accessed and a grey electric Gazelle bicycle and a Segway Ninebot electric scooter worth £4000 and £600 respectively were stolen from within.

This theft is believed to be linked to another incident in Thurston Road in the village that took place between 5pm on Tuesday 29 March and 7am on Wednesday 30 March. Again, this involved the theft of an underground cable.

It took place at St Mary’s Church on Thurleston Lane in Ipswich on Tuesday 5 April at some point between 5pm and 6pm.

The incident occurred during the early hours of the morning on Wednesday 16 February at an address in Helions Park Gardens.

The plain white Ford Transit van, registration YC65 FXT, was taken from Lowther Street between 5.30pm on Tuesday 15th March and 7am today, Wednesday 16th March. A resident said the van was not parked in the street when they returned from work at 9.30pm.

Reports of badger setts being deliberately blocked up in Suffolk have increased, according to a rural police officer.

A farm owner has expressed frustration and told flytippers to "get a proper job" after nearly 60 tyres were dumped in her Suffolk farmyard.

Police in Suffolk stopped over 270 vehicles and detected more than 330 offences, after targeting drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) as part of a week-long operation supported by National Highways

PC Colin Taylor will join PC Andre de Jongh, PC Kevin Stollery and Sgt Brian Calver, who leads the Rural & Wildlife team, in providing dedicated and expert support to other officers who may need their advice with an investigation based around rural/wildlife matters

Criminal gangs are monitoring social media posts by farmers to create “shopping lists” of tractors and quad bikes they then steal from farms.