SHEEP rustlers have stolen eight of the most expensive sheep in the UK from a farm in Gloucestershire but police have warned their meat must not be eaten.

Eight pedigree Texel sheep were stolen from a field on a farm at Alvington, near Lydney in the Forest of Dean between the hours of 2pm on Wednesday, March 4 and 2pm the following day.

They are valued at hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds each. Last year an eight-month-old pedigree Texel ram was sold by a farmer in Scotland for £152,000, almost double the price of a Porsche.

The most expensive Texel in the UK was sold for £232,000, again by a farmer in Scotland, in August 2009.

Teels, originally from the island of Texel in the Netherlands, are highly prized for the quality of their meat.

Those stolen from the Forest of Dean earlier this month have tagged ears and are clearly marked with a red 'M'.

Gloucestershire Police have been advised, however, that these sheep are not fit for human consumption as they've been given long life worming tablets.

Anyone who may have been offered these animals for sale or has further information is asked to call 101 quoting incident number 354 of 6 March.