Middle class thieves have been stealing pricey flowers for their gardens and logs for their wood burners from a nature reserve.
Volunteers at a community garden in New Milton, Hants, are up in arms after discovering clumps of snowdrop flowers had been dug out of the ground and taken in an overnight raid by a green-fingered thief.
The bulbs which are now in full bloom were thought to have been lifted by someone who wanted them for their own garden.
The petty theft follows the disappearance of piles of logs that had been deliberately left in a shady part of the public garden to attract fungi and other wildlife.
But the timber was taken by selfish residents to put into their trendy wood burners – which can cost upwards of £1000 – to heat their homes.
The Ballard Water Meadow has also suffered vandalism attacks.
Signs urging people to stick to the footpaths so not to trample over delicate woodland flowers like bluebells have been ripped off and dumped in bushes before.
The clan of volunteers who tend to the gardens twice a week say there is little point in getting the police involved.
Middle class thieves have been stealing pricey flowers for their gardens and logs for their wood burners from a nature reserve. Above, Bob Lord with a lone remaining snow drop
The bulbs which are now in full bloom were thought to have been lifted by someone who wanted them for their own garden
They now hope to shame the culprits into stopping the thievery and return the stolen bulbs.
Bob Lord, the chairman of the Friends of Ballard Water Meadow, described the acts as ‘sad, selfish and thoughtless.’
He said: ‘We have a group of about 15 volunteers who go there twice a week to make the place look better for the community.
‘It is a well cared for site but some people take exception to the work we do and try to ruin it.
‘Our habitat log piles that we put down to attract fungi and other wildlife have been taken by people to use for their wood burners at home.
‘The logs were small enough to be carried away.
‘Some of our signage and posters have been thrown into the bushes. The posters are notices asking people no to wander off the path into wooded areas and risk trampling over flowers like bluebells.
‘Not someone has come along under the cover of darkness and dug up clumps of snowdrops.
Disturbed soil marks the spot where the snowdrops once stood
Logs were taken by selfish residents to put into their trendy wood burners – which can cost upwards of £1000 – to heat their home
‘We turned up to find a small hole in the ground from where they were. It is theft. It is taking something that belongs to someone else without permission.
‘It is the second time it has happened to us. These people must just want them for their gardens.
‘I know some snowdrop varieties can be quite expensive but I don’t think ours were.
‘We haven’t reported it to the police, I am sure they have got better things to be dealing with.
‘We are just appealing to people to stop this and maybe return what they have stolen.’
The Ballard Water Meadow consists of seven acres of meadows and four acres of woodland.
The band of volunteers tend to the nature reserve on behalf of New Milton Town Council.
