Theft throws Hempton therapy garden plan into doubt

Sharon Newman said items including a metal detector, fishing rods and reels, chairs, chainsaws, tools and a CCTV unit had been stolen from a shipping container she kept on a plot of land on Gogg's Mill Road in Hempton, fear Fakenham.

Mrs Newman, originally from Suffolk, was planning to create a sanctuary garden on the land, with a focus on helping people with disabilities, cancer sufferers, and people going through bereavement.

Sharon Newman was planning to create a communal garden at the site on Gogg's Mill Road in Hempton (Image: Sharon Newman)

The theft has left her unsure if this will be financially possible. 

“They’ve taken my dreams away from me,” Mrs Newman said.

“It is really tough, I had this vision, which is far bigger than just this, I had so many ideas, where it would go, involving groups and schools, creating this beautiful space for Fakenham.

“I wanted to leave a legacy and create this outdoor haven, but that has been snatched away from me.”

Sharon Newman was planning to create a communal garden at the site on Gogg's Mill Road in Hempton (Image: Sharon Newman)

A spokesman for Norfolk Police said: “Suspect/s forced access to a container in Mill Road, Hempton, sometime overnight on February 14 or 15. Chairs and fishing equipment were among the items stolen.”

Mrs Newman said she arrived at the site to find the gate lock was broken but initially thought nothing of it.

It was only when her son asked her if she had already unlocked the container that she noticed something was wrong.

They opened the door to find some equipment still in place but other things were gone.  Mrs Newman said the stolen goods were worth around £10,000.

She and her son also found a piece of concrete, which they said could have been used to break the lock. 

Any witnesses or anyone with information should contact Norfolk Police on 101 quoting the reference number 36/12313/23.