A gamekeeper fears poaching is getting out of control after thieves stole 150 mallards.

Shoot manager Stuart Walker took a group of hunters to a Crowhurst field where he kept 150 hand-reared ducks.

The police were called after the hunters arrived to find the deserted field on his Tandridge Estate on Sunday November 1.

He said: "As annoying as this was, it is only the tip of the iceberg of a much bigger problem.

"We get people coming into farms in Tandridge and stealing huge amounts of game.

"Don't get me wrong, there has always been a bit of a poaching problem here, but it always used to be a case of people taking a few for the pot. "However, there is a sort of devilment in the carnage they are causing now.

"In some cases they cause significant damage – kill the birds – then just leave them lying there."

"Unfortunately for people who rely on game for a living, this is a problem which is getting worse every year."

Mr Walker said the birds can only be sold for around £1 if they are dead, but can fetch up to £40 alive.

He added: "It's a huge hit in our pocket, and by no means the first time something like this has happened.

"This would have cost us about £5,000, and it isn't the first instance of poaching on my land by any stretch of the imagination.

"Essentially it amounts to armed robbery. That's how the police should be looking at this.

"The whole thing smacked of a pre-organised operation.

"You don't just wander into a field on the off chance and steal 150 mallards.

"This is just one example of a problem which is absolutely rife in Tandridge."

In a separate incident, 50 partridges were stolen from Home Farm, Outwood Lane, Outwood, overnight between October 6 and 7.

In January this year, the Mirror reported how landlords were uniting against rogue traders trying to offload poached meat in pubs.

Tandridge Neighbourhood Inspector Elaine Burtenshaw asked residents to report anyone trying to sell cheap meat.