Easter church garden theft 'especially upsetting'

Equipment worth about £200 has been stolen from the Welcome Community Garden in Gloucester.

The theft took place from within the grounds of Hucclecote Methodist Church in the early hours of Easter Sunday and was caught on CCTV.

The garden provides food and also companionship for vulnerable and lonely people.

A man took 12 scaffolding boards which had been donated by the city's Altitude Scaffolding. Police have been informed.

Shortly before the theft, the boards had been painted by volunteers ready to be used to edge vegetable beds.

Church volunteer Elaine Keasley explained CCTV footage showed a man scaling a 6ft gate and then passing the boards through the gate over the course of about an hour.

"It was clearly a pre-planned theft and I would appeal to the thief to think again and return them," she said.

"It's especially upsetting for the church community that the theft took place on Easter.

"We are going to need 12 more 12ft scaffold boards to complete our raised beds and would be grateful if anyone has any spare to donate to the project."

Vegetables such as runner beans, potatoes, squash, beetroot, kale and chard are grown in the beds then given to the church lunch club and a food hub.

Anyone who saw someone moving scaffold boards from the field, on the corner of Carisbrooke Road and Hucclecote Road, on Easter Saturday afternoon or night or early hours of Easter Sunday should contact the police on 101.

It is thought a van would have been needed because the boards are heavy.