Heartless thieves steal furniture from garden where Wigan Infirmary nurse goes to relax

Vicki Thompson, a sister on Wigan Infirmary’s Langtree ward, loves relaxing in the garden when she is not working, describing it as her “sanctuary”.

But when she went to let out her dog at 5am on Monday, she discovered a table, several chairs and a sun lounger were all missing.

Vicki, who lives in Leigh with her husband and two children, said: “I’m absolutely gutted. My garden is my absolute pride and joy. I spend all my free time in the garden.

“I work long hours. At the minute we are under so much pressure and stress at work and on my day off I sit in the garden with a coffee, or when I get home from work, I sit in the garden and relax.”

The thieves took a table, four chairs with matching cushions and a large black sun lounger.

Two more chairs, which were part of set with a sofa and table, were also taken, but were later found abandoned nearby.

Vicki says it would cost £700 to replace the stolen items and she has reported the theft to the police.

She wrote about what happened on Facebook and received many comments expressing sympathy and disgust at the theft.

Vicki said: “I am overwhelmed with the response on Facebook from my friends and people I didn’t even know.

“Everyone knows how much time I spend outside in my garden. I was absolutely gutted.

“I don’t have lots of money. I work extra hours for things I want to have and someone came along and took it for free and probably sold it for next to nothing. It’s so gutting.

“Everyone is pulling together and looking after each other and everyone is being so generous and nice at the moment and then this happens and it just shatters it all.”

Vicki, 44, urged people to be vigilant and secure any items of furniture in their own gardens to prevent them being stolen.

And to the thieves, she said: “We are struggling as much as anyone else is with these times and it’s just not fair to take things that don’t belong to you.”

Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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