Berry farm heist baffles police

Thieves in central Canada stripped an orchard of some 200 pounds (90 kilograms) of ripe Saskatoonberries, leaving police and farmers baffled at the work needed for a relatively low-price haul.

"There's not a whole lot that we know, other than it would have taken a substantial effort to clean off that many bushes of their berries, in any time period really," said Chris Ballard, a spokesman with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Manitoba.



A local farm newspaper said the thieves apparently had to haul their load across a ditch, over a fence and through other rows of berry bushes, before leaving the Winnipeg-area farm with the loot - which could be worth some C$700 (£329).

Saskatoonberries, also known as Juneberries, are similar to blueberries although a little smaller. Pre-picked berries sell for about C$3.50 a pound.