Police are appealing for information after a number of replica firearms were stolen from a van in Aldershot during the early hours of Tuesday, June 15.

Between 3.30am and 4am a Ford Transit Van that was parked in Rowhill Avenue was broken into by two men. Approximately 20 replica AK47s, three replica M4s and a replica sniper rifle were then stolen.

The replica weapons are used as part of a military re-enactment business which is run by the victim.

Detective Inspector Dave Sackman, of Aldershot CID, said: “Although these replica weapons pose no threat to members of the public this was a concerning incident and we want to find the items as soon as possible.

“If you have any information about who was responsible for this theft or if you witnessed the incident please contact us. We also want to hear from anyone who is offered a replica firearm to buy under suspicious circumstances.

“We would ask people who store these kind of replica weapons to be responsible and think about how secure they are.

“We would advise business owners to avoid leaving items in vans or other vehicles overnight, if they are not there they can’t be stolen.”

Hampshire Constabulary offers the following advice:

Don’t leave anything in your car – if it’s not there, then it can’t be stolen.

Choose a stereo that can be removed and make sure you take it with you! You should also mark it with your registration number or postcode, in case it is stolen.   

Thieves aren’t picky, so don’t leave even low-value items. Often thieves will smash and grab first and look later to see if what they’ve stolen is valuable.

Don’t hide it – if you hide items under the seat or in the glove box, chances are someone will have watched you. If you cannot avoid leaving something in your car, put it in your boot before you begin your journey.

Don’t leave valuables in your car even for a minute – it only takes a thief a few seconds to smash a window and get what they want, so don’t take the chance.

Your car isn’t safe on your driveway – nearly half of all incidents where items are stolen from cars happen when they are parked overnight, close to the owner’s home.

Don’t leave your house keys or anything with your address on it in your vehicle - someone could steal your keys and then let themselves into your home.