A FARNHAM woman has been left "devastated" this week after falling victim to one of two incidents where £2,000 of York stone paving slabs were stolen from gardens in broad daylight. Tricia Snell, who recently moved into Firfield Cottage, in School Lane, Lower Bourne, left her house last Wednesday morning only to return later that day to find her prized garden feature missing. Police believe the theft took place between the hours of 9.10am and 1.50pm, and involved 800 square feet of slabs being torn from the ground. A second incident took place later on Wednesday at an address in Shortfield Road, Frensham, involving a similar number of York stone slabs also valued at around £2,000. The second incident would have taken place between midday and 4.15pm. Mrs Snell, who is appealing to anyone who may have witnessed anything to get in touch with the police, said that the stone terrace would have weighed "tonnes" and taken a long time to remove. One neighbour has confided that she saw a blue van and men working in Mrs Snell's garden at the time but no other details of either mid-morning heist are known. "I left the house at 9.15am and when I got back back my beautifully landscaped front garden had been stripped from the ground and I've been left with a building site," she said. "There was quite a lot of it and it was a major feature of the property but it's all gone now. I only bought the house late last autumn, it's just devastating. "These people had the audacity to drive into my driveway and then spend an hour or so removing all of the stone pavings. All of which in broad daylight." Chris Whitty, a former resident of Firfield Cottage whose parents lived at the address for 13 years, spoke of his shock at the news. "This is not just a theft but an act of vandalism also," he said. "The paving slabs in the front garden were an integral part of the property and were greatly enjoyed during the years that my parents and I spent there." Police are urging residents to be vigilant following the two thefts, believing that as summer approaches, demand for the expensive stones will increase. Dc Jackie Green from Farnham CID said: "Given the time of day of these two linked crimes we feel that someone must have seen something and would urge anyone with information to contact Surrey Police. "The slabs are around four inches thick so a large vehicle would have been required to transport them away. Surrey Police is working hard to specifically target burglars and handlers of stolen goods so please contact us if you have been offered anything similar for sale recently." Residents have been asked to take a note of any vehicles witnessed outside a garden where people are acting suspiciously along with descriptions of individuals and to call the police immediately. "With the summer approaching, the demand for this type of material is going to increase and we are therefore warning residents to be on their guard for any suspicious activity. Check with your neighbours to see if they are having any patio work done and keep an eye out on surrounding properties." Anyone with information regarding either of last week's thefts is asked to contact Dc Jackie Green at Farnham CID on 0845 125 2222. Alternatively, people can contact Crimestoppers anonymously and free of charge on 0800 555 111.
