Another theft has hit a business at a trading estate outside Stonehouse, with CCTV footage showing the perpetrators brazenly hitting their target moments after employees leave and then grinding off locks to make their escape.

Between 25 to 30 steel drain covers were stolen from a workshop on Brunel Way at Stroudwater Business Estate at around 5pm on Saturday, February 16.

Footage appears to show the thieves grinding a lock off the gate to the business to let their white van drive through.

One employee said thieves had been lying in wait for everyone to clock off before committing their crime.

"Our footage actually shows the van parked up while people are still working," they said.

"When the van is first seen it swings round into our parking area - it's like he's waiting to see when we've all left."

Saturday's theft follows another in December where a different business had a quarter of a million pounds worth of metal pinched by thieves.

That theft took place at some point between 5.50pm and 10.55pm on Saturday, December 15, with police believing offenders entered the site before loading the metal onto a large white van which could possibly have been a Peugeot boxer or a Mercedes sprinter.

A dark coloured car, possibly a Vauxhall Insignia or Astra was also present and the men went back to the site around the same time on the following day.

Police have said they are now examining the CCTV footage of the latest incident.

A spokesperson said: "Anyone who saw any suspicious activity or has any information which would help with inquiries is asked to contact Gloucestershire Constabulary on 101, quoting incident 235 of 19 February."

Alternatively, police can accept information through their online reporting scheme: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/contact-us/tell-us-about-something/?incident=235&date=19-02-2019