Thieves who stole a lorry load of computers were in for a nasty surprise because the load was being returned to the factory due to the fact all the machines were defective.

Detectives from Hinckley CID in Leicestershire said the Volvo articulated lorry was stolen in the early hours of Tuesday from a Hinckley industrial estate.

Det Const Gary Burrows said: "The lorry itself is valuable, but the thieves may have thought they had got away with a haul of computers, as well.

"Unfortunately for them all, the computer parts were on their way to be fixed. The load, which weighs three tonnes, is only worth a fraction of what it could be."

He said in their present condition the thieves would be lucky if the whole lot would fetch £10,000.