[02 NOV 00] CRIMES, FIRES & ACCIDENTS
Stolen Garden Antiques On Web Parade

Police have set up a special website to try and trace the owners of stolen antique garden furniture.

A hoard of more than 100 items was found in Operation Granite by police officers working in Newark, Notts.

The goods, each worth between £1,000 and £6,000 include urns, sun dials, troughs, benches and wrought iron gates.

They are all believed to have been stolen from houses across the midlands, including Warwickshire.

Force Antiques Officer DC Austin O’Driscoll said:

“We believe these items have come from all kinds of residences.

“Some will be from country houses, some may be from public parks, but many will be individual items from people’s back gardens.

“By publishing pictures of them on the internet, we hope to alert people who have fallen victim to conmen or antique thieves and lost items like these from their back gardens.”

People who see things they believe are belong to them should call officers on 0115 844 6935 to arrange a private viewing. The viewings will be held at a secret location on 10 and 11 November.

The pick of the collection is a pair of weathered stone lions, which are both three feet long, about three feet high, in a “recumbent” position with “naïve” faces.

DC O’Driscoll said:

“We are particularly keen for someone to identify the two lions as they are quite distinctive and are worth £5,000 to £6,000 as a pair.

”Theft of garden furniture and ornaments is a specialised crime, committed by knowledgeable thieves who know that they are looking for.

“It is possible for them to avoid detection by shipping items out of the country, or selling them in different parts of the UK, but with the aid of technology such as the internet we can reach a wider audience and return valuable property to its rightful owners.”

Pictures of all the items can be viewed at www.nottspolice.couk.com.