Garden of England targeted by ‘brazen’ night-time shrub thief

The Garden of England has been targeted by a 3am shrub bandit who steals plant pots in the middle of the night.

A “brazen” woman was caught on CCTV snooping around a front garden in the early hours amid a series of thefts in Ashford, Kent.

She can be seen scoping out the patio and entering through a gate at 3.30am before rummaging around in various plant pots. No arrests have been made so far.

Karon March, who had plants stolen, said her security system recorded the “carefree” intruder, who was seemingly “undeterred” by the garden light.

The video shows a woman approaching the garden with a torch.

Wearing a rucksack, light top and blue trousers, the footage shows her walking along the perimeter fence and entering through a garden gate.

The woman appears to make two attempts to grab one shrub and puts something in her pocket, before looking inside another pot.

She can then be seen leaving the property after the camera pans from left to right and the security light flickers.

‘It’s very strange’

“I’m angry. What gives her the right to do it?” Mrs March said. “She’s just so carefree. When my security light goes on it doesn’t deter her at all.”

Mrs March explained that she left for work last Tuesday morning and noticed her garden gate had been left open.

When her husband looked back at the footage, he saw the woman creeping around the garden for almost three minutes, going in and out of shot as the camera’s lighting dims. They noticed plants had been stolen.

She added: “It’s very strange, and she’s very brazen.”

‘I was absolutely livid’

Jan Samson, Mrs March’s neighbour, also claims to have had plants stolen on two separate occasions, but it is not known if the incidents are connected.

She says a box containing 12 flowers and then five fuchsia plants were taken from her garden.

Mrs Samson, 79, said: “I couldn’t understand how people could be so stupid – I was absolutely livid.

“It’s such a silly thing to do – it’s bizarre, especially as all of them were at around 3.30am, which is such a funny time in the morning.”

A police spokesman said: “We have received reports relating to the thefts of flowers and plants from outside properties in Little Knoll, Ashford.

“Incidents allegedly occurred overnight at one address on Wednesday, May 10, and Monday, May 15, and at another on Tuesday, May 23. Inquiries are ongoing.”