IT TOOK police just 90 minutes to recover all items stolen following a break-in and theft at an allotment in Sauchie.

Quick-thinking officers worked with the community to tackle the incident at Alloa Allotment Association at Keilersbrae last week.

According to the group's Derek Robertson, it only took local police an hour and a half to catch the culprit and return all the items taken from the sheds.

The incident took place in the morning of Wednesday, April 15, with a 34-year-old man later reported to the procurator fiscal.

Mr Robertson told the Advertiser: “The police were absolutely fantastic.

“We reported it, one of our colleagues was going in in the morning at 7.30am because he likes to go there early and there was a couple of sheds broken into.

“We phone the police, they came down.

“A neighbour came across and said she had seen somebody walking up the road with a couple of wheelbarrows and they [the officers] got it all sorted out.

“The police went, found the person and the stuff was recovered within an hour and a half.”

The otherwise peaceful plots at the allotments, located just behind the Arnold Clark dealership, has not seen such an incident in Mr Robertson's nine years there.

He added it was unfortunate that such a crime would take place during the current coronavirus crisis and put it down to sheer opportunism.

A statement from the local police force said: “Great work from Alloa Group 3 cops and members of the community after reports of break-ins and thefts to allotments in Sauchie.

“We're delighted that all stolen property was recovered and returned to owners and a 34-year-old male has been reported to the procurator fiscal.”

The allotment association secured a 25-year lease for the land back in 2012.