WILDLIFE cameras used to monitor wild otters at a Bournemouth beauty spot have been stolen.

The cameras were taken from a restricted area at Hengistbury Head in broad daylight last month.

Police issued pictures of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident.

Following the picture appeal, a man has come forward. 

Officers were called after two cameras were taken from the nature reserve.

The theft happened at around 2pm on Saturday, January 25.

A man was seen to walk into the restricted area of the reserve and make off with both of the cameras.

The cameras are owned by BCP Council. They are used to monitor and protect a raft of wild otters who have made the reserve their home.

Police Community Support Investigator Rich Frew, of Bournemouth police, called for anyone with information on either the identity of the man, or what has happened to the cameras, to come forward.

Hengistbury Head is known for its wildlife, with enthusiasts visiting to spot skylarks, natterjack toads and sand lizards.

More than a million people visit the site each year.

A spokesperson from BCP Council said: “We are extremely disappointed that our wildlife cameras at Hengistbury Head have been stolen.

"They were being used to monitor otters for our wildlife records on the nature reserve for both their protection and future preservation.

"The cameras give great enjoyment to all who view the footage of these beautiful creatures.

"They also help us to further understand their behaviour, enabling us to protect them better within their natural habitat."

Volunteers from the Christchurch Harbour Ornithological Group – known as CHOG – and the Dorset Otter Group have previously been involved in careful searches for evidence of otters at Hengistbury Head.

Officials from CHOG say otter have large, riverside territories, sometimes reaching up to 30 kilometres in length.

They say nationally, otter populations are recovering after 'human persecution' and river pollution from pesticides.

Dorset has always had small, isolated populations on both the Stour and the Avon, the volunteers say.

Anyone with information on the theft that can aid the police's investigation is asked to contact Police Community Support Investigator Frew via dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55200013436.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.