A gang of looters has been arrested for stealing cars from a neighbourhood in Kentucky that was ravaged by a tornado during which numerous people died.

The incident that saw the five thieves arrested took place in Graves County in the US state of Kentucky on Friday 17th December.

The police have named the arrested suspects as Kevin Stowe, 55, of Union City, Tennessee, Ronnie White, 57, of Hickman, Kentucky, Lynne Bailey, 56, of Hickman, Kentucky, Linda Morris, 52, of Dresden, Tennessee, and Kaitlyn Moore, 29.

Two of the arrested suspects, Morris and Moore, were found to be in possession of methamphetamine and syringes, according to the police.

The Graves County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying: “On Friday afternoon, Graves Sheriff’s deputies were alerted to suspicious activity in the area of Cardinal and Pritchett Road.”

The cops added: “This area was particularly hit hard by the tornado and resulted in deaths.”

The police also said that the five suspects had been working as a group and had been going through other people’s personal property. They said: “It was reported that several suspects that appeared to have been working in a group were rummaging through persons personal property, and loading vehicles that were destroyed by the tornado.”

The cops said that Sheriff’s deputies from Calloway County and Graves County, as well as Kentucky State Police Troopers worked together and “converged” on the group, catching them red-handed “towing several damaged vehicles attempting to leave the area”.

The police said that they found items that belonged to tornado victims on the suspects, including the vehicles, adding that some of items belonged to people who had died during the tornado or were in hospital.

The cops said: “Sheriff’s deputies and Troopers found a variety of personal items belonging to tornado victims, including some household goods, new shoes, muddy change, copper wiring and other items. They were also towing several vehicles that were owned by tornado victims that have been displaced by the tornado, in the hospital, and/or deceased.”

The police said that the suspects attempted to claim that the owners of the houses they allegedly robbed gave them permission to take their personal property, but the police said that their statements were contradictory.

The cops said: “Statements from some of the suspects contradicted each other as to having permission from the homeowners. Some of the claims made by suspects were disproven after sheriff’s deputies were able to find and question the homeowners of where property was taken.”

Sheriff Jon Hayden said that the “suspects were transported and lodged at out of county jails” and that “the case remains under investigation”.