CCTV footage has captured a man falling from a ladder during a theft at a community garden centre in Sunderland. The video, shared on social media by Sunderland Home Grown CIC in Thompson Park, has been viewed more than 277,000 times.
Incident details
The organisation reported that two thefts of plant pots occurred between 7pm and 8pm on Sunday, June 19, with a combined value exceeding £200. Northumbria Police has confirmed the incident was reported and officers are investigating.
Gary Hillery, manager of the CIC since its founding in 2015, said the community's support has helped offset the upsetting event. He stated: "We started with nothing back in 2015, and we have had huge support from the local community, and funding from the lottery and government to help us. We have created a nursery, and offer training to those in the Southwick and Sunderland area."
Community response
Hillery added: "This sort of thing is not common, but we do think we know who this is through previous incidents, although we can't confirm this. We are well thought of within the community, but there are always a couple of bad eggs trying to spoil things for everyone else."
"The public have been really good with us, and seeing him falling from the ladder in the video shows the sort of person he is. That robbery took £70 of our pots, and another one on the same night took around £150 worth, so this is impacting us."
Hillery praised the police response, saying: "I went down to the police station today, and they were really helpful and receptive to what I was saying, as they always have been. The support from those around us has been immense, and we want to say a massive thank you to them for that."
