Animals killed at Cheshire children's charity in 'trespass' incident

Ten animals are dead or missing after a trespassing incident at a children's charity site. Staff and volunteers arrived at The Children's Adventure Farm, Millington, Friday morning (April 19) to find rabbit and guinea pig enclosures had been 'destroyed'.

Just one of the charity's eight guinea pigs was found alive but 'in shock', staff said. Another guinea pig was found dead, with six more missing, along with three rabbits.

The rabbit and guinea pig runs are protected from predators such as foxes and birds of prey, but staff said wire had been 'snipped' around the runs.

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Large dog tracks and a set of boot prints were found around the site, with staff believing the incident happened in the early hours of Friday morning. The charity offers day visits and residential stays free-of-charge to children living with chronic or terminal illness, disability or social disadvantage, along with their families, across the North West and surrounding areas.

Hannah Grahame, a member of the fundraising team at the Children's Adventure Farm, told CheshireLive: "On Friday morning, staff and volunteers arriving on site found up in our woodland area, where we have rabbit runs and guinea pig enclosures, someone has come on site in the early hours of the morning, and destroyed some of that infrastructure.

"We have found only one dead guinea pig, there’s just one surviving guinea pig who is obviously in shock. We had eight to start with. The three rabbits have also gone."

The runs are located in a wooded area on the property's ten-acre footprint. Hannah describes the runs as ‘quite vast’, with protection in place to guard against predators including hawks and foxes. “Someone has chosen to break those runs and the metal protection around them. It looks like the fences have been clipped.”

Hannah said trespassing incidents at the site are not common. “Around a year ago, there was a bit of a disturbance and we lost one animal, and then previously there was a robbery, maybe six or seven years ago.”

Residential guests had been staying on the property, but did not witness the incident. Hannah said: "It was a bad situation, but we’re very blessed.

"We have been so blessed by our community who have really come together in an amazing way. It takes so few to ruin things, but so many to put it all back together."

The charity has raised over £3,500 since Friday with a fundraising appeal following the incident. Equipment for the enclosures and other services to rebuild and protect the site have also been offered.

A spokesperson for Cheshire Constabulary said: "At 10.40am on Friday 19 April police were called to reports of criminal damage at a premises on Reddy Lane, Millington. The caller reported that unknown persons had trespassed on the land and damaged a number of enclosures housing guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters.

"Sadly, three rabbits and two guinea pigs were also found to be missing or deceased. Enquiries in relation to the incident are ongoing and anyone with any information is asked to call Cheshire police on 101, or visit www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us, quoting IML-1803863."

The charity's fundraising page can be viewed here.

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