St Albans farmers ‘devastated’ after turkey sign destroyed by vandal
Charlie Deacon and Georgia Lindstrom with their turkeys at Westwick Hall Farm in St Albans. Picture: Westwick Hall Farm - Credit: Archant
Two farmers who set up a business selling free-range turkeys to the community were devastated after their hand-painted sign was vandalised.
The vandalised turkey sign advertising Georgia and Charlie's business at Westwick Hall Farm in St Albans. Picture: Georgia Lindstrom - Credit: Archant
The turkey-shaped sign is at the end of Beech Tree Lane, outside Westwick Hall Farm, and faces onto the A4147 between Leverstock Green and St Albans.
Georgia Lindstrom , 22, made the sign with her boyfriend Charlie Deacon, 26, whose family owns the farm, to advertise their free-range turkey business.
However the sign, which is made from two hay bales with a wooden head and wings, was destroyed on Thursday, November 21, about a month after it had gone up.
Georgia, who attends university in Shropshire, said: "We produce 100 free-range turkeys, and we get them as one-day-old chicks and raise them ourselves so everything's done by us, including marketing and accounts.
Charlie Deacon and Georgia Lindstrom with their turkeys at Westwick Hall Farm in St Albans. Picture: Westwick Hall Farm - Credit: Archant
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"It's only the second year and it's the first time we have had a sign like that, trying to reach out to more people and let them know what we're doing, so we're devastated it has been destroyed."
The vandalism took place at 1.40pm, and police captured it on CCTV. Georgia and Charlie have since mended the sign and put it back up.
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Georgia said: "We made the turkey ourselves and I hand-painted it. It's such a shame that the time and money has gone to waste with no explanation.
"They've damaged a small business which we are trying to set up for ourselves."
The couple are concerned that the vandalism could have come from a misconception about the treatment of their turkeys, which they rear from a young age to ensure they are not factory farmed.
"We pride ourselves on great welfare of our birds and sustainable production, so it is difficult to see how someone could do this to us," Georgia said.
"We want to show people that farms aren't just thinking about money.
"We have had great feedback on the turkey sign and we even had people leave their pumpkins by it to recycle them as treats for the turkeys."
According to police, a male damaged the sign and then dragged it to the recycling point at Beech Tree Lane and left it there.
Any witnesses should call police on 101, quoting crime reference number 41/105095/19.
