Nearly £30,000 worth of statues and ornaments have been stolen from gardens in Ipswich in the last three years.

Figures, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, have revealed that since March 2012, 294 statues and ornaments have been stolen, totalling an estimated £28,050.

Already this year, 40 ornaments have been taken, totalling around £4,200 – almost double the value stolen for the same period two years ago.

Now, police officers are urging homeowners to take steps in preventing their possessions becoming a target.

A spokesman from Suffolk police said: “While the number of thefts has decreased, any incident can cause huge distress to the owner, regardless of financial value.

“We would ask householders to think about what they have in their gardens, as it is very difficult to prevent random thefts of this nature.

“If you do have items of value particularly if they are on full display in a front garden, you should consider crime reduction measures such as anchoring them securely.”

Among some of the highest value items are 5ft high Hadden Stone statues valued around £800 each, lead figures estimated to be worth £700 each, and metal urns and bird baths valued from upwards of £300 apiece.

One resident in Ipswich, who did not wish to be named, believes organised groups target properties after he had 13 stolen from his garden since October.

He said: “It’s dreadful – I am well over 80 and you try and do something nice with your garden and you get this.

“It’s organised and the weight of them means they are bringing their own vans around.

The Ipswich resident believes he has lost more than £5,000 worth of statues from his garden alone, but the sentimental value attached to them is also significant.

He added: “These characters have no idea what their value is, and I am now having to security mark my statues so they don’t go missing.”