There were furrowed brows at a local farm last Friday when thieves made off with a tractor and plough - in broad daylight reports ANNABEL HUGHES.

A tractor matching the description was later spotted 'hurtling' through Llanvapley, with a plough bouncing around behind it.

Farmer's wife Cheryl Baker was able to raise a smile at the sheer audacity of the theft and the culprits' apparent attempt at a 'getaway' - but the incident has left the family farm facing a serious dilemma.

The Bakers raise beef cattle and sheep at Court Farm, Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern and were in the process of planting a crop of maize for next winter's feed.

"We don't have another plough and we're desperate to get the job finished while the weather holds," she explained. "We're not just facing the loss of the machinery but the extra cost of having to bring in contractors."

The tractor had been loaned to the farm by Cheryl's father, Haydn Williams.

"He and my husband Phil had just finished one field and started the other and had parked the tractor and plough at the side of the bungalow on our land while they had their lunch."

While the tractor was parked up, the farm was visited by two young men, described by Cheryl as having Irish accents, who were trying to sell cheap chainsaws and compressors.

Cheryl says they would have spotted the tractor and plough unattended behind the gate.

"The thieves must have known what they were doing because there were no keys in the ignition," she added.

Cheryl decided to turn detective, visiting every farm in the neighbourhood for clues.

"The same lads had apparently called at all the other farms from here to Llanvapley, in the Abergavenny direction, but none from here towards Monmouth.

"At 5pm - three hours after it was stolen - a lady having tea in Llanvapley heard the tractor coming through the village at speed, with the plough bouncing so violently on the bar that she thought the link might snap.

"Goodness knows what would have happened if there'd been children playing or people riding horses along the road. There could have been a terrible accident."

The tractor was a John Deere 3350, registration F878 PWP.

"It's not a new tractor - but it's still worth around £15,000 plus £4,000 for the plough. Basically we'd just like them both back!" said Cheryl.

If anyone has any information about the theft please call the police on 101.