EVERYTHING looked to be coming up roses in a park which has won a Green Flag for excellence.

That was until six of nine standard roses planted in the garden at the entrance to Greenwood Park in Tippendell Lane, Chiswell Green, were stolen within hours of being planted.

The parish groundsman had planted the roses and assorted bedding plants last Tuesday, June 18. Some time between then and the following day the majority of the roses were taken.

One was found later wrapped in a black polythene bag under a nearby hedge – put there, St Stephen parish council believes, for collection later.

Appealing for the return of the roses, Cllr Bill Pryce, said that while the parish council would like to know who had taken them, that was unlikely to happen. He asked the thief or thieves to leave them at the entrance to the park.

Bill said: “Whoever took them planned to do so and it was not just an act of mindless vandalism. These are expensive roses and were placed there for everyone’s enjoyment and pleasure which was destroyed by an act of thoughtlessness and greed.”

It is not the first instance of plant theft this summer.

Pansies and shrubs were uprooted from the front garden of the Redbourn MoT Centre in High Street recently – the culprit, dubbed the ‘pansy thief’ by the owners, was captured carrying out the raid on CCTV at 2am.