TWO men sought in connection with the attempted theft of a high value tent are believed to be linked to a series of thefts in Poole, according to police.

At around 7pm on Saturday June 11, two men entered the Decathlon store at Redlands and one of them picked up a tent valued at £649 and placed it at the end of the aisle.

They were seen to remove the security tag from the item before leaving it on the floor and exiting the store.

The men returned to the store around an hour later and one attempted to distract staff while the other went over to retrieve the tent. However, staff appeared to be aware of the situation and the men left the store empty handed.

Officers investigating the incident believe the two men are linked to a series of thefts in the Poole area with a value exceeding £2,000.

Following the attempted tent theft, police have issued CCTV images of two men they would like to speak to.

Police Constable Clifford Ryan, of Dorset Police, said: “We are continuing to carry out enquiries into these incidents and I am issuing images of two men we would like to speak to as part of our investigation.

“I would urge anyone who recognises them to please contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk/contact or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55220093707.

Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.