Couple bamboozled by theft of tree

A GREEN-fingered couple are furious after discovering a thief-in-the-night made off with one of their two newly planted bamboo trees. Keen gardeners Caroline and Peter Sims, of Cornwallis Road, Dagenham, woke to find the 4ft tree, worth �50, had been dug

A GREEN-fingered couple are furious after discovering a thief-in-the-night made off with one of their two newly planted bamboo trees.

Keen gardeners Caroline and Peter Sims, of Cornwallis Road, Dagenham, woke to find the 4ft tree, worth �50, had been dug out of the front garden.

All that was left was a trail of soil leading down three streets before disappearing.

Caroline, 47, told the POST: "We thought that maybe the soil would take us to the person who took the tree, so we followed it. But after a while it just trailed off." The theft took place on July 14.

They also noticed the thief had tried, unsuccessfully, to take a second tree.

Police have been told, but the Sims doubt the culprit will ever be found.

Peter bought the trees a few weeks ago and gave them pride of place in the front garden.

"They were quite expensive but I really didn't think anybody would steal them, so it came as quite a shock", he said.

"It looks like they actually carried it, which would have been quite difficult considering how heavy it is."

Caroline and Peter have since moved the remaining tree into the back garden, and are considering installing CCTV.