Staff at Knowsley Safari Park demonstrate why visitors should not enter the baboon enclosure with roof boxes as the cheeky primates have learned to open them and run away with the goods.

Keepers at Knowsley Safari Park have been forced to issue warnings after the opportunistic primates developed a taste for human possessions.

The cheeky monkeys - who are known for tearing off the odd wiper or wing mirror - have been targeting cars carrying the roof boxes before pouncing on the unsuspecting visitors, who are forced to watch helplessly as their things disappear.

Now bosses at the Merseyside park have slapped the artful animals with what they call 'Anti Social Baboon Orders' and have warned visitors not to travel through the infamous monkey jungle with luggage on their roof.

With the holiday season in full swing, people are now being urged to watch the 140 baboons at play from the safety of the car-friendly route, around the outside of the baboon enclosure.

Safari Park general manager, David Ross, said when the first luggage box was broken into, staff didn't really take much notice as they thought it was a one-off incident.

But they soon realised they had a problem on their hands when visitors reported the pesky primates kept stealing their things.