A COMMUNITY project in Abergavenny has been left “devastated” after gardening equipment worth up to £2,500 was stolen from their workshop.

Greenfingers, a social service which gets those with learning disabilities involved in horticultural activities, was targeted by thieves last week.

Two Stihl strimmers, two Stihl backpack leaf blowers and a Stihl hedge cutter were all taken from a demountable building at the Melville Centre in Pen Y Pound Road.

The equipment is crucial to the scheme’s daily work of the service users who grow and sell plants to the public and carry out small gardening projects in and around Abergavenny.

Gareth Jones, who has served as one of Greenfingers’ enablement officers for 10 years, said: “We’re a well-established project and we’ve never had problems so to find out we’ve been burgled was a real shock.

“On a personal level of course I’m devastated but I’m sad most of all for our service users, they’re the most important people in all of this. It’s been a bit of an upheaval for them to think that someone has been here and stolen all of their equipment.”

Mr Jones added that staff have been forced to borrow equipment until they can get find the money to replace the missing items. Greenfingers is part of the Monmouthshire council service My Day My Life, which gives those with learning difficulties a chance to join with mainstream community activities.

Cllr Penny Jones, cabinet member for social care and health, said: “Greenfingers is an invaluable and much-loved community horticultural project. The individuals that attend the project are obviously distraught about last Thursdays’ break-in.

“We appeal to anyone who has any information about this crime to contact the police.”

A spokeswoman for Gwent Police said: “At approximately 9.15am on Friday July 21, we received a report of a burglary of a storage shed at the Drama Centre in Abergavenny. It is believed the burglary happened overnight.

“Two strimmers and a hedge cutter, with a combined value of an estimated £2,500, were stolen. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting log 100 21/7/17.”