Cattows Farm in Heather is to change its 'Pick Your Own' operation after a group of people driving '21Plate' Audi, Mercedes and Peugeot cars loaded up fruit and left without paying.

The farm has been encouraging people to come to its Swepstone Road fields and freely pick fruit as a 'pure experience' for around 35 years.

But the owners have always depended on people's honesty.

And now say they will have to change things after witnessing brazen theft involving a 'large group of people' yesterday (Saturday) - which was caught on CCTV.

Cattows Farm says the police have been informed about the incident.

A Facebook post this morning (Sunday) describes what happened.

It reads: "It's with great sadness and disappointment that we have to write this post.

"We opened the farm for pick your own soft fruit in the early 80s and we've loved every minute of welcoming you to spend time in our beautiful surroundings.

"While times have changed over the years, we've tried to maintain our original ethos and give you the same pure experience as we did over 35 years ago.

"However, experiences like yesterday make us constantly review how we operate pick your own.

"Other farms now charge an entry fee and even sell the empty punnets first as if you'd already filled them…then letting you go to the field to pick.

"Yesterday, a customer and our CCTV witnessed a large group of people going back to their cars in stages having obviously returned from the field without paying.

"They promptly loaded their 21 plate Audi, black Mercedes C-Class Coupe and Peugeot and left WITHOUT paying.

"Having been aware of theft during pumpkin picking last year, we will now review how we operate and changes will have to be implemented.

"We'd like to thank the vast majority of you who are honest and respectful…and to the "customers" who broke the law yesterday - it's really not cool, or classy, or how it works! The police have been informed."