Thugs ransack royal garden charity offices
VOLUNTEERS working to create Salford’s royal garden have slammed yobs who ransacked charity offices.
Computers and garden equipment were snatched when intruders broke into the building at RHS Garden Bridgewater, in Worsley.
Devastated Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) bosses posted details of the incident on social media.
In a tweet they wrote: “To our friends & neighbours - please bear with us if we are slow to respond over the next few days, our offices have been ransacked over the weekend, we have lost a lot of equipment and have lots of clearing up to do.
“To our unwelcome visitors, if you’re on here – we are a charity trying to create something wonderful here for your children, and their children.
“The more we have to spend on security and replacing stolen kit, the less we can spend on the good stuff we’d rather be doing.”
Security at the site will now be stepped up following the break-in. Programme director, Anna da Silva, said: “We are greatly saddened by the break-in to the offices at RHS Garden Bridgewater this weekend. We are working incredibly hard to build a beautiful new garden for everyone to enjoy and this has saddened us enormously.
“We will be greatly increasing security measures and assisting the police in every way possible.”
The gardens are currently being renovated with the help of community groups, housing associations, and social care charities. They are due to be transformed into an open space for the community in 2020.
Plans include the restoration of an 11-acre walled kitchen garden and a new schools learning centre.
Greater Manchester Police said officers were called to the site on Leigh Road in Boothstown at 9.25am on Saturday, July 28.
“It is believed unknown offenders forced entry to the premises between midnight and 8.45am on Saturday July 28,” a force spokesman said.
“Computers and gardening equipment were stolen. Inquiries are ongoing.”