Detectives are appealing for witnesses following the theft of 1,000 timber blocks from the Western Heights.

The English Heritage owned floor slabs went missing sometime between midnight and 11.15am between Monday, February 23 and Friday, February 27.

They were at the north entrance of the western heights' tunnels.

The cubes are about six inches long and may be coated with an arsenic preservative which is a typical way of treating wood in the Victorian era.

Two suspects were seen on Friday, February 27 at 11am and one of them was a woman.

She is described as in her 20s, about 5 ft 2 and of medium build.

She had black hair, was wearing a blue top and was carrying a large rucksack.

On Sunday, Phil Eyden, a volunteer from the Western Heights Preservation Society told the Mercury: "If they are burned then they could be in serious trouble.

"It does appear this was orchestrated. They were organised. They knew what they were doing."

Dover community safety inspector Guy Thompson from Kent Police, said: "This is a heritage crime where these blocks are more than one-hundred years old.

"It would have taken several trips to remove so many blocks so we're appealing to anyone who may have seen suspicious behaviour in the area of Military Road over a period of time."

"Our main concern at the moment is to alert those who may come into contact with the flooring, that they could be a health hazard, especially if burned as fuel.

"Dealers, home renovators, collectors and the suspects themselves need to be aware of the potential danger."

• Anyone with any information is asked to contact Kent Police by calling01843 222138, quoting crime referenceZY/6295/15. Alternatively, contact Kent Crimestoppers on0800 555 111.