MORE than 400 digital cameras worth around £200,000 were stolen from a warehouse in the Ribble Valley.

The raid took place at a warehouse in Clitheroe between 10am on Saturday and 8am on Monday.

The warehouse is one of the main distributors of digital camera equipment in the area.

Clitheroe CID said the robbery seemed to have been meticulously planned and the adjoining premises had been broken into before a hole was knocked through two breeze block concrete walls.

The steel mesh around the building and the cages housing the cameras appeared to have been cut with bolt cutters.

DS Nigel Watson of Clitheroe CID said managers of the warehouse were unwilling to be named for fear of further robberies in the run-up to Christmas when demand for electrical goods is on the rise.

He added: "This appears to be a well planned offence committed by professional criminals. A vehicle or van was used and approximately 400 Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony digital cameras and camcorders stolen."

Police are appealing to anyone who has been offered such a camera or who has any information to contact CID at Clitheroe police station on 01200 458741 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.