POLICE are warning householders to be on their guard against washing line thieves who are stealing designer goods to order.

A police spokesman said: "We don't normally give a lot of time to clothing thefts, but there has been an increased number of them recently.

"We know of 10 offences in the last month - and there have probably been more that haven't been reported.

"It has been mainly expensive designer casual sporting wear which has gone - which makes us think that they are stealing to order."

Most of the thefts have been in the Middlewich Street area, around Lime Tree Avenue and Selworthy Drive.

Police believe it is the work of a small gang, and are warning people not to leave expensive clothing on washing lines unguarded.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.