Police managed to scare three apparent stock thieves away from 24 cattle on Friday near the Lesotho border near Maluti, Eastern Cape police said.

Captain Bonisile Sigobe said border police came across three people herding cattle around 3am on Friday.

The people ran away into to the bushes when police approached and managed to evade police in the dark.

The cattle were believed to be stolen from Maluti. A case of stock theft would be investigated.

It was believed more cattle could have been stolen recently.

Police called on anyone in the greater Maluti area who had lost cattle within the past 48 hours to go the Maluti stock theft unit.

Sigobe called on people, especially farmers, who had lost cattle to go to the stock theft unit instead of phoning to try to identify their cattle.