A NURSERY owner has today issued a reward for information leading to the arrest of burglars who raided his garden centre.Richard Pooley, 59, said he will pay a reward of up to £500 if the thieves are caught.

A NURSERY owner has today issued a reward for information leading to the arrest of burglars who raided his garden centre.

Richard Pooley, 59, said he will pay a reward of up to £500 if the thieves are caught.

Bentley Plants Limited was broken into on Wednesday night and about £3,000 of stock was stolen.

Mr Pooley said: "I have had other break-ins but I have never had someone take the gates off.

"I have lost quite a lot of stuff in the past but that was over fences.

"This time they took more than £3,000 of stuff.

"They took quite a lot of large plants, olive trees and Acers and palm trees and a selection of shrubs and grasses."

Mr Pooley has owned the nursery for 25 years and previously owned another nursery in East Bergholt, his home village.

He added: "It is not a big proportion of my stock, it is just the fact that someone took it. I would rather have given it to someone.

"I have a fence, a ditch and another fence and they are quite high fences. "It's just impossible to stop really."

Van tracks were left outside the nursery but Mr Pooley does not believe police found any fingerprints at the premises.

The break-in took place between 5.10pm on Wednesday and 7.50am the following day.

Mr Pooley believes it happened at about 10.20pm when a neighbour is thought to have contacted police.

Anyone with information about the incident should call Pc Chris Garrod at Capel St Mary police on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.