A HEAVY piece of industrial machinery worth thousands of pounds, found dumped in an Ottery filed at the weekend, could have been stolen say police.

A HEAVY piece of industrial machinery worth thousands of pounds, found dumped in an Ottery filed at the weekend, could have been stolen say police.

The 750kg welding generator was discovered wrapped in black polythene on a trailer at the entrance of a field off Bird Cage Lane on Saturday afternoon.

Police then recovered the large red generator, which weighs around ten times the weight of an average man, and suspect it is stolen property.

Ottery neighbourhood beat manager PC Phil Thomas said he suspected thieves could have attempted to stash the generator in the field, hoping to collecting it later, only for it to get stuck when they were reversing in.

PC Thomas wants anyone who has lost such a generator to contact police. He has also urged generator owners check lock-ups and premises to ensure their property is not missing.

Anyone with information can contact police on 08452 777444, log number: 631/08/08.