Fishing equipment worth about £15,000 was stolen from a garden shed.

Keen angler Terry Martin purchased the various items, which included a collection of 40 fishing rods, over many years.

Thieves also took his son’s stunt scooter, canoeing gear and about £1,000 worth of tackle.

The shed was broken into at some point between last Wednesday night and 10am on Thursday.

Mr Martin said so much equipment was stolen that whoever took it must have used his own wheelbarrow to make several journeys from the front to the back of the house.

He believes the thieves knew what they were going for because they left his other shed untouched.

He and his family moved to Minster Road, Minster, at the end of August and the fishing the gear was being kept in the shed before finding a place in the house.

Mr Martin, a dustcart driver, said he was devastated as the equipment was uninsured.

He said: “They have got some front. It’s made me feel ill. There’s so much stuff gone. We bought that scooter as a moving present for my son. It’s like someone ripping my heart out.

“I collected that gear all my life. I do it solely for pleasure. It’s a passion.”

The 57-year-old added that since asking around the neighbourhood he had been told of several other recent shed break-ins.

Kent Police confirmed they are investigating but are yet to make any arrests.

n Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting crime reference XY/34428/13.