The director of a popular County Durham garden centre says staff were left upset and questioning whether they could have done more after thieves stole more than £3,000 worth of stock in just 20 minutes.
Caroline Walker, whose family has run Poplar Tree Garden Centre in Shincliffe for more than 50 years, has spoken out following the theft of items including Jellycat toys and jewellery.
The theft happened at Poplar Tree Garden Centre and Brambles Coffee Shop on Hall Lane on June 27, prompting a public appeal and the release of CCTV images on social media.
Caroline Walker, Director of Poplar Tree Garden Centre at Shincliffe. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
Caroline said: "Of course, incidents like this are extremely disappointing, particularly for an independent family business like ours, but we certainly haven't allowed it to leave us feeling deflated.
The offenders have been banned from the premises for life.
Caroline said the overwhelming support from customers and the wider community was one bright spot after the theft.
"Thanks to the power of social media, information was shared extremely quickly and people genuinely wanted to help us," she said.
"From our point of view, when it happened, the police were fantastic, but from the back of what they received from us.
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
"We reacted quickly and put all the CCTV straight on our social media channels.
"The community was brilliant. They came forward with so much information."
"We recovered some of the stock, but not all of it.
"Thieves stole more than £3,000 worth of stock in 20 minutes.
"We recovered only a couple of hundred pounds’ worth."
Poplar Tree Garden Centre released CCTV footage immediately of those they believe were responsible for the theft. (Image: POPLAR TREE GARDEN CENTRE)
The theft has prompted tighter security across the site, with more monitoring, better product positioning and greater staff vigilance.
But Caroline said the business would not sacrifice the welcoming atmosphere that has attracted generations of customers.
"We don't want genuine customers to walk into Poplar Tree and feel as though they are being watched or scrutinised because of the actions of a very small minority," she said.
"It has to remain a friendly, relaxed and enjoyable place to shop at all times, simply with additional precautions operating discreetly in the background."
Caroline believes garden centres can be easy targets because of their size and layout.
"I think garden centres are targeted because there are so many nooks and crannies that they can hide in," she said.
"I think they expect it to be a traditional greenhouse rather than a department store."
(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
Caroline said the theft’s emotional toll on staff was even harder to bear than its financial impact.
"The biggest effect after these thefts is for the staff. They really take it to heart and we've got a lovely team," she said.
"The ones that were on duty that day just think, 'Could I have done more?'
"It's upsetting, but we've got a really good team and we can't do any more."
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Caroline insists the theft will not derail the business’s future plans.
"This incident will not define us and it certainly will not stop us moving forward," she said.
"If anything, it has made us more determined to protect what our family and fantastic team have spent more than five decades building."
The garden centre can be found at Hall Lane, Durham DH1 2NG