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Police were stunned to discover more than 30 garden gnomes in a car they stopped and searched.

And they are now trying to reunite the wandering gnomes with their rightful owners.

Officers discovered the garden ornaments after stopping a car in the Banff area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland in the early hours of Thursday.

The find included a Rangers FC gnome, a Buddha and an Oor Wullie, as well as more traditional gnomes.

Isla Johnstone, 70, from Edzell, Angus, reported a missing Oor Wullie on February 22. And she is now waiting to discover if the one recovered by police is hers.

Her daughter Lynne Calder, 46, said: “It was a Friday night when it disappeared.

“She got up on the Saturday and it was gone. She thought it was a prank at first. My sister bought it for her years ago – I’m sure for her 60th birthday.

“She’s got loads of ornaments in her garden but that’s the only one that went missing. Mum was quite upset.”

In the past, gnomes have fallen victim to a prank in which they are stolen and photographed at famous landmarks before being returned.

And “gnome liberation” groups have been set up by jokers around the globe.

Anyone with information or who recognises any gnomes can contact police on 101 quoting GP-20140403-0036.