LORRY thieves are being hunted today after striking again in Felixstowe's portside haulage yards – the third time this month a high-value load has been stolen.

LORRY thieves are being hunted today after striking again in Felixstowe's portside haulage yards – the third time this month a high-value load has been stolen.

A gang entered a yard in Walton Avenue and broke into an articulated cab and drove off with the lorry, its trailer and container.

The lorry cab was later found in a layby off the A14 westbound, on the old A45 Felixstowe road at Levington.

It is understood the thieves had another cab ready and waiting, which they hitched up to the 40ft container and then made their getaway.

Police said the container had five different loads inside – including bed linen, crayons and wooden trays.

The theft happened between 4.30pm on Monday June 24 and 6pm Tuesday June 25. The container was marked with the code YMLU 4715813.

Anyone who may have seen the trailer being unhitched at Levington, or has information about the theft should contact Dc David Mayes at Felixstowe CID on 01473 383300.

Earlier this month thieves got away with £200,000-plus worth of hi-fi systems from a depot, and £100,000 worth of vehicles and beer from another yard.

In another incident a quantity of Mothercare strollers were stolen from a container in a yard in Fagbury Road.

The raiders brought their van in to the yard and took a number of Jive "cats 'n' dogs" strollers. They took cameras – not the first time raiders have done so – and locked the gates behind them.

It is not believed at this stage that any of the raids are connected.

Police all over the country have been alerted and a nationwide hunt is underway for the stolen goods, which are often quickly distributed countrywide through a cleverly-run network system.

Police believe that the thefts are far from random and feel sure many of the thieves are acting on inside information, and carrying out their own surveillance.

In the past six months, three boxes were taken from the Pentalver yard in Blofield Road, when a security guard was also kidnapped.

Two containers – including one with vodka worth £750,000 inside – were also taken from storage areas inside the port after thieves got hold of paperwork.