Heartache of OAP’s plot raid
The full cost of a crime can’t be summed up in pounds and pence.
You only have to read the words of pensioner Fred Rylands to understand how devastating a crime can be.
Thieves who targeted the allotments where Fred and his fellow plot owners tended their land and animals have left a trail of physical and mental destruction.
As we reveal today, as many as 20 locks have been smashed and goats, ducks and chickens stolen.
Fred reckons it would cost as much as £400 to replace his animals, but that is not the point.
When the thieves struck they took more than the pets he had reared, they ripped the heart out of the pastime he has loved for decades.
“They’ve broken almost every single lock and taken the goats which were my pride and joy,” said Fred, 72.
“My family has been here for 150 years and for this to happen is just devastating.
“This has really put me off and I can’t take it anymore.”
Fred is hoping against hope his animals will be returned.
If the crooks have even a shred of common decency they will return the animals immediately.
Failing that, we hope justice catches up with these criminals and they get all they deserve. And there’s a glimmer of hope.
The goats that were stolen have been tagged, making them easier to track down for investigating officers.
If anyone has any information about this raid, they must contact the police.
For the misery and heartache the crooks’ selfish actions have caused, we’d love it if they were caught and that magistrates throw the book at them. Here’s hoping.