POLICE have recovered a haul of more than 2,000 stolen power tools they want to return to their owners.

The force found the tools in Aylesbury in early February and are now encouraging victims of theft across the region to come forward.

Investigators are unsure which areas were targeted in the thefts contributing to the seized tools, which were recovered on February 2.

Detectives now have a complete list of the tools and serial numbers from those recovered.

Victims that they have been able to locate have come from within the Thames Valley as well as from 16 other police force areas including Kent, Avon and Somerset and Norfolk.

Those looking to be reunited with their tools will need to provide a crime reference number for the theft and proof of ownership. This could be the serial numbers, identifying marks or distinguishing features of the tools.

Many of the tools that have been recovered have identifying marks on them such as peoples names or nicknames.

Detective sergeant Shay Harper said: “I am pleased to be in a position to reunite these tools with their rightful owners.

“My team and I have worked hard over the past few months to identify owners of these tools in a number of ways, including checks of national databases and crime reports from across the country.

“However, with a number of tools carrying unique but unregistered marks on them, I believe there are a number of people out there who would recall these marks, enabling us to reunite them.

“I urge anyone who owns tools - whether they’re kept in a van, garage or shed - to mark them and make a note of the serial numbers. This could be just by taking a photo of them but preferably by registering them on a national database, as this helps us prove ownership when we make seizures of stolen items.”

Contact operation.appleton@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk