Daventry garden centre Whilton Locks was recently the victim of a thief who broke into the store's tortoise enclosure and stole two baby tortoises, concealing them in his trouser pockets.

The store's CCTV managed to capture an image of the thief with the tortoises stuffed into his pockets as he left the centre. The theft took place at around 4.30pm on Tuesday, April 25. Speaking to local press, garden centre manager Jackie Hunt said CCTV showed the man going straight to the tortoise vivarium upon entering the store, where he got onto his hands and knees and started bending the metal of the lock back and forth until it broke.

“He then put his hand into the vivarium, grabbed two tortoises, put one in each pock and walked straight out.”

Around 3 inches long, the baby tortoises are thought to be worth about £150 each.

Due to the strict regulations surrounding ownership of tortoises in the UK, the man will not be able to claim the reptiles as his own as they are microchipped and the garden centre has certificates to prove their legal ownership of them. However, for Whilton Locks, the concern is more for the safety of the tortoises themselves, as they require special care.

“These are babies,” explained Mrs Hunt, “they need the correct heat and the correct light. If they don't have that they won't live.

“It's nasty on several levels because they don't belong to him, they're now illegal tortoises and then to stick them in his trouser pockets? It's beyond comprehension for me.”