Trees disappear in night

The artificial spiral Box trees were placed outside Cool and Classic’s Castle Road showroom to cheer up the area, and act as samples for potential customers.

The soft furnishings and interior shop moved into the premises last September and set about rejuvenating the shop.

Manager Klara Hendrie said the first two trees were placed in pots and bolted to a wooden baton, which was attached to the building.

But about six weeks ago they went missing in the night.

She said: “The tall trees and their pots were ripped from their fixings on the wall, leaving half the plant pot still attached to our wall. These trees cost around £400.00.”

Following the disappearance, Klara took to social media to find out if anyone had any information, and also searched the local area to see if they had been dumped nearby.

She said: “It was horrible to think someone could do such a thing, but we ordered more trees and pots and fixed them with metal plates and bolts direct into the wall of our showroom.

“When I came into the showroom this morning, (June 6) I was horrified to see that once again the trees had been stolen overnight.

“This time, holes were left in the showroom walls where they have ripped both the bolts and metal plates off the wall.”

While Klara and her team thought the first theft may have been the antics of people heading home after a night out, she now believes the shop has been targeted. The second pair were in place for less than week.

She said: “They must have been prepared and brought something with them to rip them from the wall, maybe a crow bar. And the trees are really heavy, so they must have had a van.

“It’s not just a shame for us, but the whole area. We have had people thank us for making the shop look its best. We even had an opening ceremony with the Mayor.”

Bedfordshire Police has confirmed they are investigating the thefts. Anyone with information should contact officers on 101 or email [email protected]