Gardaí in Thurles, Co Tipperary, have urged farmers to be extra vigilant following a recent theft of winter forage in the area.

They have advised farmers to secure any feedstocks in fields or isolated farms and to report any suspicious activity to their local Garda station.

A spokesperson from Thurles Garda Station said it's imperative that farmers report these thefts, as many go unreported.

"It's very important that farmers file a complaint and follow it through. These thefts will keep happening.

"At the end of the day, gardaí depend on the assistance of civilians, so the more people that ring in and give any information about suspicious activity helps 100%.

"If it's the middle of the night and you see bales being moved around, straight away ring in," he said.

Hunting cameras

The Garda advised farmers who have bales in fields or isolated yards with no CCTV to invest in the likes of hunting cameras which could track any movements.