Crime, Environment, News

Gardening volunteers left ‘quite emotional’ as thieves steal trees and flowers from Nottingham parks

By Megan Daley

---

A gardening volunteer says she has been left disheartened after a large number of plants were stolen in the latest theft from Nottingham’s Arboretum park – saying it was “quite emotional” to discover what had happened.

Several community gardens and parks around Nottingham have been targeted in the recent months, with carefully planted flowers, trees, and shrubs pulled from the soil and taken.

Jane Barton, a volunteer with Nottingham City Council’s Green Guardians project told Notts TV the thefts are especially upsetting given how much time and care goes into maintaining the popular green spaces.

In the latest thefts, a ranger who waters the plants at the Arboretum discovered several shurbs were missing on Saturday morning – just two days after they’d been re-planted on Thursday to replace others stolen earlier in the month.

“People don’t get to enjoy the hard work that we put into these green spaces,” Jane said. “We make it the best we can despite ongoing financial problems, and when something like this happens, it’s incredibly frustrating.”

She added some of the other things which have gone missing from spaces across the city in recent months include blackcurrant trees, garlic plants, various types of flowers and a two-year-old Magnolia tree.

 

The Arboretum is Nottingham’s oldest public park and one of the city centre’s most-loved green spaces. It is often used by families, dog walkers, and students.

The Green Guardians volunteer scheme is organised by Nottingham City Council Parks Team, which manages more than 250 parks, local nature reserves and open spaces across the city.

Jane added: “It’s been quite emotional, but the response from the community has been very supportive. People do care, and that’s meant a lot.”

Becky Valentine, a sustainability and building health consultant for Nottingham-based company Spenbeck, who was walking through the park, said: “It seems like we have lost social conscience.

“We are so blessed in Nottingham to have these spaces and they’re used by so many people. It’s just so tragic that this has happened.”

Jane added Nottingham City Council is looking at ways to prevent further incidents, including encouraging more people to report any suspicious behaviour.

“We are mainly run by volunteers,” she told us.

“While we can’t be here all the time, it’s really important for the public to help us out.”

Jane had one simple message for whoever’s been thieving the plants: “Please don’t do it – just enjoy the space.”

She and her team plan to continue working on restoring the area to keep the Arboretum looking its best.

“We’re not giving up,” she said. “This park means a lot to people, and we’ll keep doing our best for everyone who comes here.”

In February a bell was also stolen from a war memorial at the Arboretum.

It was taken from the park’s Chinese Bell Tower. It was reported missing in February but it is not clear exactly when it was taken.

The bell was installed in the tower in the 1950s to replace one looted by British troops from a temple in Canton during the Anglo-Chinese War (Opium War) of 1857-61 – although the one stolen was a replica rather than the original – which was donated to a museum.

 

Sergeant Karl Browne, of the Arboretum neighbourhood policing team, said: “We’ve received reports of the thefts and sympathise with the group of volunteers who dedicated their time taking care of the garden, making it a welcoming space for the community.

“Our officers regularly patrol the Forest Recreation Ground, and we will be deploying our force’s CCTV van in the coming days to make sure we continue to proactively target areas where anti-social behaviour takes place.

“We encourage anyone with information that may help us find those who are responsible for this incident to contact us.”

Anyone with information regarding the thefts, or who has seen something suspicious, is asked to contact Notts Police on 101.